


Lost in Avonlea – a shirbert tale

by writinqbyliv



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne with an E - Freeform, F/M, Green Gables, Lost - Freeform, Requited Love, Romance, Shirbert, Slow Burn, Soulmates, amybeth mcnulty - Freeform, awae, lost in avonlea, lucas jade zumann - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 33,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26006461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writinqbyliv/pseuds/writinqbyliv
Summary: in which Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe inevitably lose their way, experiencing new and long-hidden feelings on their journey back home.– takes place after season two of awaehighest rankings on wattpad– 1st in #shirbert– 1st in #awae– 1st in #amybeth
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 49





	1. where i'm standing

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer; this story is based on L.M. Montgomery's 'Anne of Green Gables', and the series 'Anne with an E'. I do not own any of the characters, all of these beautiful souls are from the amazing minds of L.M. Montgomery and the awae writers.
> 
> this story was originally published by me (muchoblythed) on wattpad, and i'm now moving it here for everyone to enjoy :)
> 
> you can listen to the spotify playlist for this fanfic via the link in my pinned tweet (@blythesobrien) on twitter and a bunch of other awae related playlists i made during season 3 of our beloved show.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚.  
> 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚  
> 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜."
> 
> — 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was a passionate and imaginative individual. Her red hair was as vibrant as a burning flame and her blue eyes were as soft as the lake of shining waters, on the outskirts of Avonlea.

The morning sun danced through the window of Anne's bedroom, resting on the soft freckles that scattered across her rosy cheeks. She loved how the light of the sun enchanted the cherry blossom tree when it was in full bloom. It still dazzled her thoughts today when the branches were laced with crystallised sheets of ice and snow.

The delicious aroma of eggs and toast wafted up the stairs and under the crack of Anne's door. The warmth of her bed was difficult to leave, but the hunger that grew in her stomach was enough to make her eager to step into the cold.

"Good morning, Marilla. Good morning, Matthew." Anne greeted as she glided her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Well, didn't you take your time getting out of bed this morning." Marilla scolded in her usual fashion.

"I'm terribly sorry, Marilla. The blossom tree outside my window had the most dazzling display of ice crystals. Oh, you should see it!" Anne exclaimed in pure ecstasy. "I just couldn't bring myself to say goodbye."

"Well, now. You'll be able to see it again after school." Matthew wearily spoke up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table.

Matthew Cuthbert was not often one for joining in a conversation, but Anne was an exception. He was completely captivated by the young girl who spoke so freely without a second thought, and he silently wished that he were more like her. 

By the time Marilla had set the plates down on the table, Anne's mouth was watering, and she couldn't help but dig right into her breakfast. She was shot a glare from across the table by Marilla, silently telling her to eat with a little more elegance. In Anne's defence, it was rather difficult to eat elegantly when there was so much to look forward to at school.

Her short list of people being Diana Barry, Ruby Gillis, and Miss Stacey. If someone were to suggest a certain curly haired boy – by the name of Gilbert Blythe – however, Anne would have sent daggers their way. Gilbert was not whom she looked forward to seeing. At least, that is, because she just didn't want to admit it to herself.

"Thank you for breakfast, Marilla," Anne spoke, standing up from her seat and rushing over to put her dishes in the sink. "I don't want to be late for school and keep Miss Stacey waiting, so I best be off."

"Enjoy your day." Marilla smiled gently.

Putting on her coat and hat, Anne scooped up her books and made her way out the door. The air was crisp around her, causing her to shiver slightly as she continued down the path.

"Au revoir!" Jerry shouted out from the barn window, waving to the red-headed girl as she passed by.

"Goodbye, Jerry." She shouted back in response, making her way out of Green Gables and following the path towards school.

A cool breeze twisted its way through the leafless canopy of branches above, and the snow-covered path crunched beneath Anne's feet.

She walked at a fast pace, eager to see Diana again – her kindred spirit. They were the closest of friends and could not imagine ever living in a world without the other.

Anne felt blessed to have found a place to call home when she first came to Avonlea, and she was beyond happy that she had found such amazing people whom she could call friends and family.

The sound of children chattering amongst themselves could be heard in the distance, telling Anne that she didn't have much further to go before she would be huddled up in the warm classroom.

"Anne!" A voice called out behind her, causing her to stop in her tracks.

She knew who it was before she even turned around. There was only one person with that voice and only one boy in the school who would say her name with such pleasure.

"Gilbert." Anne smiled, turning on her heel to see Gilbert Blythe jogging to catch up with her.

When he reached Anne, they both continued on the path towards the schoolhouse, where the noise of the children only grew louder. 

Gilbert's brown curls were speckled with delicate snowflakes, and his nose was red from the cold. It was obvious to Anne that he had been outside a lot longer than she had. He was most likely doing some farm work, or chopping wood to keep the house warm for Sebastian. Bash was not well suited to the cold winter climate of Prince Edward Island.

"I'm going to Charlottetown next weekend to help the doctor out with some of his patients," Gilbert announced to Anne, as he brushed some of the snow out of his hair.

"Be sure to visit Cole when you're there." Anne smiled sadly, thinking of her friend.

Gilbert looked nervous for a brief moment, before straightening his posture and speaking again.

"I was actually wondering if you'd like to accompany me. That way you'll be able to visit Cole and Ms Barry yourself." He said. He felt a pang of regret when he finished his sentence and didn't get an instant reply, but he was relieved with himself that he managed to get the whole thing out without choking on his words.

Anne thought about it for a moment, but the more she thought, the more nervous she got. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she couldn't fathom why that was.

She spoke the next words without so much as a second thought. "I'd love to."


	2. on your mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙,  
> 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩."
> 
> — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘆

Gilbert and Anne were bombarded by the laughter and screams of their fellow classmates as they reached the school. Diana and Ruby could be seen, amongst Tillie Boulter and Jane Andrews, chattering away next to the front door.

Diana looked as beautiful as ever, and Anne always felt a pang of jealousy about her radiant beauty. However, she would never let that get in the way of their bosom friendship.

Anne could sense the questions that were about to smack her in the face from her friends. She never did understand why one couldn't simply walk with somebody who was heading in the same direction and they just happened to cross paths. 

"Well, see you." Gilbert nodded in Anne's direction, leaving her with her close-knit group of friends, and making his way into the warm classroom.

He could feel Ruby's infatuated stare jabbing him in the back of his head, even after he was safe behind the walls of the classroom. It was so obvious how Ruby felt about Gilbert, even though he never thought of her in a romantic way in return. It saddened him that he would eventually have to break her heart when he was to get married in the distant future.

His mind drifted to Anne. She had agreed to accompany him to Charlottetown in the coming week, and it had him star struck. Never in a million years would he have thought that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert would accompany him of all people to Charlottetown. Gilbert froze all of a sudden. 'Anne is only accompanying me so she can visit Cole and Miss Barry. There's nothing else to it.' He thought to himself solemnly. Though there was a small inkling in the far corner of his mind, telling him that he was lying to himself.

"Why were you walking with Gilbert?" Josie Pye prodded Anne in a rude tone, as she joined the other girls outside the door.

Anne rolled her eyes ever so subtly, as to not gain an uncivil remark from Josie, which was the almighty norm. Anne thought it best to just ignore the ignorant Josie, saving herself the trouble of wasting her breath.

"Did he say anything about me?" Ruby said eagerly in her soft, sweet voice. Her eyes were big and round, hoping to gain some insight into the mind of Gilbert Blythe.

"We didn't really talk. I was admiring the snowflakes that fell from the trees. Oh, you should've seen the snow at Green Gables this morning. Untouched and ever so delightful!" Anne rambled on.

The look of disappointment was evident across Ruby's face. The smile that previously sat upon her lips had turned into a sorrowful frown, and her eyes were as sad as ever. She looked ever so glum in the cold morning air.

Anne couldn't help but think how beautiful Ruby looked when she was sad; like a delicate flower caught in the rain.

A cold chill of the icy wind sent shivers down Anne's spine. Midwinter in Avonlea was not good to be spending long periods of time outside. Desperate to escape the cold, Anne and her friends dashed inside the classroom where they were met by a glorious wall of heat.

"Take your seats, everyone." Miss Stacey announced as she entered the room, which in turn made the students silent and scurry to their seats to begin the lesson. "First up today, we will be reading aloud one of William Shakespeare's masterpieces, A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Anne was ecstatic at this. Reading aloud was her most enjoyable part of school, and it thrilled her even more that Miss Stacey and her friends found her way of speaking absolutely breathtaking.  
Student after student, they read their parts, and then it was Anne's turn. She stood with such dignity and grace, as she read ever so exuberantly. Her classmates were in awe as she continued to deliver her piece.

When Anne concluded her part, she took a small bow and then sat back in her seat. The class erupted into applause, and she couldn't help but have a grin spread across her face as she smiled to herself. Diana was applauding so much that Anne was surprised her wrists weren't beginning to ache.

Turning to face the boys, Anne locked eyes with Gilbert. He was smiling proudly at her from his seat, and if anyone else were to look at him, they would've noticed the heart-eyes that were being displayed on his face. Anne didn't notice of course. For she was far too caught up in her own mind to notice anything else.

Charlie Sloane, the best friend of Gilbert Blythe, was watching the exchange of eye contact between both Gilbert and Anne. He knew what was running through the mind of his best friend, and he also knew that Gilbert had yet to admit his true feelings to himself, let alone anyone else.

The same could be said about Diana as she watched the whole ordeal. She saw the way Gilbert was looking at Anne, and she was certain Anne was looking at him in return. There was only one reason that Diana could think of as to why they looked at each other the way they did, and she wanted to make it her mission to get the two of them to know the reason as well.

As the school day came to an end, and Miss Stacey had departed, some of the students decided to stay behind – as requested by Josie Pye – to play spin-the-bottle. They all sat in a circle as they had done before, and set the bottle up in the middle.

To Anne's surprise, Gilbert was there. He wasn't usually one to take part in such childish games, which meant he must have had a reason for being there. Tossing that thought to the back of her mind, Anne couldn't help but feel nervous about what was to come.

She was nervous because the last two times she had taken part in the game, she had been mocked for her looks in front of nearly the entire class. And she was nervous because she no longer had Cole with her to have her back when everyone else refused. 

Ruby spun first. Everyone knew who she longed to have the bottle land on, and everyone saw the look of disappointment on her face when it didn't land on that special someone. Gilbert, however, felt awkward and quite frankly relieved. He knew exactly what was running through her mind and was glad that he didn't have to give her any more false hope.

The dreaded time had come for Anne to spin the bottle. Her hands were sweaty and shaking, as she inched closer to the bottle that had her fate of the next few minutes resting in the palm of its hands. The bottle spun and it was as if time had stopped. Her heart was beating so fast she was concerned it would jump straight out of her chest. 

And then it happened. The bottle had stopped.

The look of absolute disgust was written across Billy Andrews' face when he noticed the bottle was facing him. Anne was completely bewildered and didn't know what to do in this current moment. There was no way that she would be kissing Billy Andrews. It seemed though, that Billy had the exact same thought.

"I am not kissing that ugly orphan!" Billy exclaimed, turning the bottle away from himself.

One by one, the majority of the boys stated that they would never in a million years kiss Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. Although Anne was glad she wouldn't have to kiss any of them, she still felt upset and embarrassed at herself for even sticking around for the game in the first place.

Gilbert hated to see Anne so hurt. He hated that everyone was so rude to her and that they didn't think about her own feelings. He was beyond furious at Billy for calling Anne ugly. Billy had said it in such a way that sounded as if he would become ill just from being too close to Anne.

He couldn't stand it anymore.

"Leave her alone!" Gilbert shouted as he stood up from where he had been sitting. His fists clenched as he stared down at Billy. If looks could kill, Billy would well and truly be dead by now.

Everyone was taken aback at Gilbert's sudden outburst. Billy and his friends were the only ones who had seen Gilbert in a state of rage before - and that too was because of Anne.

To say that Anne was shocked was an understatement. She was completely and utterly gobsmacked to see Gilbert Blythe standing up for her. In front of everyone, for that matter.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" Josie Pye exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air in annoyance. "Will someone just kiss Anne already, or can we move onto the next person?"

"Fine," Gilbert said without thinking for another second, leaving everyone silent with their mouths hanging open. "I'll kiss Anne."


	3. tongue tied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤,  
> 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬."
> 
> — 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲

"I'll kiss Anne." Gilbert had said. The room fell silent, and the smallest sound of a pin dropping would have disrupted the entirety of the silence. 

Anne forgot to breathe for a moment, as she sat on the floor, wide-eyed at Gilbert. She could feel everyone's gazes on her, but she couldn't look away from the dark haired boy with hazel green eyes.

He took a gulp, rethinking what he had just blurted out into the abyss. He couldn't take it back. He wouldn't. 

Anne and Gilbert continued to stare into each other's eyes, both wondering what the other was thinking, and as nervous as ever about what was to happen next.  
"Well. Aren't you two going to kiss or something." Josie interrupted.

All of Anne's insecurities came rushing back to her. She couldn't kiss him. She couldn't kiss him in front of Ruby. She was just a sad little orphan girl of whom he pitied. She couldn't come up with any other explanation as to why Gilbert Blythe would want to kiss her, of all people.

Without so much as a second thought, Anne got to her feet. She looked Gilbert directly in the eye one last time before she bolted for the door. Gilbert felt his chest constrict. He felt defeated and disheartened but he wouldn't let that show.

"Anne!" Diana called after her. She felt sorry for her dear friend and wanted to comfort her. As Diana began to move towards the door, so did Ruby, Tillie, and Jane. They all wanted to make sure she was alright, even Ruby, who was silently sobbing about what Gilbert had proclaimed to Anne.

"No, I'll go." Gilbert intercepted before the girls had departed the building. "This is my fault, I should be the one to go after her."

Everyone's eyes trailed after him as he left the room and stepped out into the cold. Why she ran away, he didn't know. Was she embarrassed? Was she scared? Did she not like him the way he had – deep down – hoped? Following Anne's footprints in the snow, Gilbert chased after her in a sprint. He wanted to find her. He needed to.

The temperature had dropped a considerable amount throughout the day and left the forest looking cold and miserable. Anne ran at full speed through the trees until she couldn't run anymore and collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Snowflakes began to fall around her, settling on her coat covered shoulders. It was freezing, and yet she didn't notice the chill due to being far too caught up in her own mind. It was as if she were contradicting herself.

The sound of footsteps snuck up behind her, and grew louder by the second, indicating that someone had been chasing after her in her time of distraught.

"I'm fine, Diana," Anne muttered through deep breaths, though the footfalls sounded much heavier than that of Diana Barry's graceful steps.

"Anne." Gilbert's voice spoke from behind her, she gulped for air, and yet she had slightly expected that it would be him. She stood up, brushing snow from her dress, attempting to stand tall and not look so dishevelled.

She ignored the panting boy behind her – who must have been running – setting her mind on walking away and heading home to Green Gables.

"Anne," Gilbert repeated, following after her. "Where are you going? What's the matter?"

Neither of them was entirely sure about what was happening in this quandary they had found themselves in, and yet Gilbert felt certain that they needed to vocalise it aloud.

The further Anne walked, the slower Gilbert became. It was only when he realised they had reached the outskirts of Green Gables that he had finally had enough of chasing after her in the darkening day. 

As she inched closer to the farm fence, Gilbert lurched forward with his arm outstretched and turned Anne around to face him. She was shocked at this notion but continued to keep quiet which was very unusual for the girl who always spoke her thoughts, no matter the situation.

The two teenagers glared at each other in annoyance, neither wanting to deal with the other any longer that day. Anne let out an irritated groan, before running past the fence and into the house, leaving Gilbert Blythe standing alone on the edge of the forest.

Gilbert found that the walk back to his house was depressing and exasperating, listening to nothing but the sound of the swirling wind and his own thoughts.

He wondered why she wouldn't just talk to him. But that was the mystery of Miss Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. She was never what anybody expected.

Smoke from the chimney could be seen in the distance, letting him know that Sebastian was home, keeping warm by the fire. He really wasn't someone who enjoyed the Avonlea winters.

"Blythe, you are home. What took you so long?" Sebastian scolded Gilbert, as he looked up from the burning flames of the fire.

Closing the door behind him, and taking his snow-covered coat off, Gilbert sat on the couch next to his dear friend to warm up.

"I uh– I got caught up at school with Anne." He admitted openly without going into all the details.

A smile spread across Sebastian's face. He was so convinced that Gilbert was dead gone over Anne and he was utterly correct in assuming that. Anne was the only girl that Gilbert mentioned, and he mentioned her an awful lot throughout a single day.

"Oh, I see." Bash began. "So you told her how you feel then?" 

Gilbert glared lightly at Sebastian for his remark. "I'm quite sure I don't know what you're talking about." He said in reply.

"Oh, sure. Let me know when you stop lying to yourself." Bash laughed, gaining an exuberant eye roll from Gilbert.

As night rolled in and the hours ticked by, Gilbert couldn't help but replay the day's events over in his head. So much had happened, and so much could have been different.

Across the way at Green Gables, Anne lay awake in bed after saying her prayers. She too was thinking about the predicament that Gilbert Blythe and herself had found themselves in.

They both felt troubled and unsure of what to do when they were to see each other again. They could have kissed earlier that day. Anne's first kiss. But fate wasn't with them.

Anne felt like she had been pitied, and Gilbert knew that, but she couldn't quite comprehend why he would stick up for her in front of the entire class if he was only feeling pity for her. Her head ached from the stress of the afternoon, and she felt as though she needed to rant to someone. She longed to tell Marilla, but knew that she would only be scolded for taking part in such frivolous and childish games.

Diana was her best bet of whom to talk to about the quandary she was in, and so she would head over to the Barry household on Saturday afternoon for a much-needed discussion with her kindred spirit.

Anne drifted slowly off to sleep, dreaming only of dark-haired beauties, falling snow, and hazel green eyes.


	4. silly things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙜𝙤,  
> 𝙜𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣."
> 
> — 𝗞𝗼𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

Anne arose early Saturday morning. The sun had not yet risen up past the trees and the moonshine was peeking out from behind the clouds. Oh, how she longed to sleep in a tree in the moonshine. Perhaps, on a warm summer's night, as to not catch her death in the snow.

She completed her chores and collected the eggs in the early hours of the day, still thinking about the day before, as the sun finally reached above the tops of the trees. Why did Gilbert Blythe have to say he would kiss her, and why did Josie Pye have to interrupt what could have been. She was irritated because she wanted to know what could have happened if Josie hadn't broken the silence. Would they have kissed? 

She could see Marilla wandering around the kitchen, she needed someone to vent to at the current moment and figured Marilla would do just fine. The door flung open, startling Marilla who was putting the kettle on and gathering food for breakfast.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, child! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Marilla shouted, glaring at Anne as she attempted to calm the quickened pace of her heart. "I thought you were still in bed."

"Oh, Marilla! Why is it that awful things always happen to me?" Anne exclaimed, slumping down at the kitchen table and resting her head in her hands. "Why couldn't something bad happen to Josie Pye or Billy Andrews for once?"

Anne hadn't yet told Matthew and Marilla of what went down at the school, making it seem as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.

Marilla was shocked by the sudden outburst, though she expected nothing less from Anne.

"It is a wicked thing to wish bad news onto someone. Show some propriety."

"I'm sorry, Marilla. I seem to have found myself in a quandary, and I'm not quite sure what to do." Anne admitted, her head tilted upwards as if she were calling out to the heavens for some guidance.

Marilla stared at her, dumbfounded. She had no clue as to what it was that the child in front of her was speaking of. "What is it that has you so riled up this time?" She spoke, though she regretted asking as Anne had a tendency to ramble.

"Well, you see, we were playing a game after school yesterday called spin the bottle–" Anne began, but she already had poor Marilla lost.

"Spin the bottle?" Marilla had never heard of such a thing and had no idea whatsoever as to what the game could be inferring. Anne saw the look of confusion written across Marilla's face, and decided it was worth going into more depth.

"Spin the bottle is a game where all those participating must sit in a circle. One must then proceed to spin the bottle – in the middle of the circle – and whomever the neck of the bottle is pointing to, the spinner is permitted to kiss." She explained without taking a breath.

"What kind of game is that! Kissing someone that you are not in a romantic relationship with... It's a scandal." Marilla scolded.

Anne simply shrugged. She too was not entirely sure how it became a game, and amongst children nonetheless.

"Anyway," she continued. "It was my turn to spin and then Gilbert Blythe just had to–" 

Anne stopped mid-sentence. What was she thinking? Why did she think that it was a good idea to spill her secrets? She was shocked at herself for ranting to Marilla when she had made a promise to herself that she would only speak to Diana about it.

"What is it that Gilbert Blythe had to do?" Marilla pressed, now interested in the topic. She had seen many times the way that Gilbert looked at Anne. It was sweet and longing. The way someone would only look at a person of whom they loved deeply. It was the way Gilbert's father had looked at her, and the way she had once looked at him in return. Whether Gilbert knew it himself or not, it was obvious to others about the way he felt.

Anne's eyes bulged out of her head at what she had been about to say. 

"Uh– nothing. Nevermind!" Anne blurted out, now in a hurry to escape the room.

The morning seemed to pass by slowly and uneventfully. When mid-day finally came around, Anne was more than eager to get to Diana. She made her way through the forest in a sprint, not wanting to waste any more time with no one to talk to.

Diana was ecstatic at Anne's arrival. The two kindred spirits could not possibly have a stronger love for one another than they already shared. They decided that a walk to the lake of shining waters was in order, after not having been in a long while.

"Oh, Anne. You shouldn't think so much into it. I'm sure Gilbert didn't mean to make you feel pitied." Diana explained after Anne had spilled her heart out to her best friend.

"How could he not, Diana! Look at me. What other reason could there possibly be for him to have done that." Anne questioned her friend, rhetorically – she gained an answer anyway.

"I can think of one." Diana grinned, with a skip in her step as they continued walking.

Anne shot a glare at Diana, but she refused to say anything in return. When Diana realised she wouldn't be gaining a response to her statement, she figured she would cheekily continue.

"It's because he likes you, Anne."

Anne couldn't keep quiet any longer. The words slipped out of her mouth in an instant as if she had no control left.

"What! Why do people keep saying that!" She shouted, referring to both Diana and Cole Mackenzie.

Diana stopped in her tracks and grabbed onto Anne's hand. She was no longer just joking around anymore and she needed Anne to know that.

"Maybe because it's true." Diana smiled softly, trying to let Anne know that she could just be honest for once. "Besides, wouldn't that make you ever so happy? After all you also–"

Diana's sentence was cut short as Anne gasped suddenly and blurted words out into the air surrounding them.

"I do not like Gilbert Blythe!" Anne shot back defensively.

Diana smiled widely to herself and shook her head slightly. Oh, how Anne had to open her eyes and see what was in front of her.

"I never got to finish speaking, Anne." Diana laughed lightly.

Anne knew that she had slipped up in that moment. She began to think that if she had just kept quiet that she might have gotten away with the lie – and yes, she knew that she had lied, even though she did not want to admit it – but Diana already knew the truth, even if Anne herself was too blind to see it.


	5. walking blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣,  
> 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙."
> 
> — 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩

The lake of shining waters glistened in the sun that was slowly disappearing behind a thick cloud. Plumes of flowers by the bank of the lake were blanketed in a sheet of snow, hidden from the eyes of the two girls who collected them in the summertime.

Anne and Diana rested upon a fence that stood nearby, looking over the half-frozen lake. Oh, how Anne wanted to walk out onto the ice and dance around, pretending to be an elegant princess in a ballroom.

"Oh, how I wish everyday could be like this." Anne breathed in the fresh air, closing her eyes as she did so.

"As in talking about Gilbert Blythe?" Diana said, with a twinge of hope in her voice. She couldn't help herself but tease her best friend slightly, attempting to gain an answer that she knew she would not be getting, but she tried nonetheless.

"No." Anne stubbornly replied. "With the vibrant sun above our heads and the crisp snow beneath our feet. With you, Diana."

Diana smiled a loving smile at Anne. They loved each other so dearly that they never wanted to be apart.

"I want that too Anne," Diana replied with glee. "Though, I do believe you should speak to Gilbert. He looked ever so worried about you when you fled the classroom."

Anne gulped. She had been dreading when she would have to see Gilbert again at school. It would be so terribly uncomfortable amongst their classmates, and she felt as though she would result in fleeing again, which she most certainly did not want to do.

"I suppose I should apologise to him." Anne tried encouraging herself, but it wasn't having much impact.

"I'm sure he would be home. You could visit him now, it's not too late." Diana pushed, further trying to encourage Anne. She wanted nothing more at this moment than for her friend to talk to the curly haired boy, who undoubtedly had stolen her heart. "Go now, before you manage to overthink things and talk yourself out of it."

Anne solemnly agreed though she was worried about what she was to say to Gilbert Blythe. She wondered what the boy would say in return, and whether or not he would even be home. She hoped to see him so that they could get this situation over with, but she also hoped that he wouldn't be home so that she could bypass the unnerving conversation that was to come. Anne didn't know which one she wanted more.

The two friends waved each other off, as they parted ways and followed different paths to where they had to go. The clouds rolled in, blocking the sun out of the sky, casting a shadow over Anne.

Making her way towards where she had to go, Anne carefully bounded her way through the snow that was already ankle deep. The sun was still hidden behind vast amounts of cloud, and yet refractions of light could be seen reflecting off the icy snow. 

"Isn't the shimmering of the ice crystals so majestical," Anne spoke to herself, bending down to admire the snow in closer proximity, distracting herself from her thoughts for a brief moment. She looked up from where she had crouched to see Gilbert's house only a few metres in front of her. Through all her time spent being lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed how far she had walked after departing the lake of shining waters. Anne could already feel the warmth emitting off the house and was now eager to enter into Gilbert's humble abode. 

Not that Gilbert Blythe played any part in making Anne want to curl up by his fireplace, while the scent of him filled the air around her. Not. One. Bit.

Straightening her dress and quickly tidying her hair that was done up in braids, Anne knocked gently on the door. A sudden rummaging sound came from inside as – what she could only assume to be Gilbert – clumsily made his way to the entrance of his home.

"Hello, Anne! It's lovely to see you." Sebastian announced enthusiastically, as he opened the door. Anne was taken aback briefly, as she had been expecting to see Gilbert's face staring back at her. Though she was pleased to see Bash, nonetheless.

"Sebastian." Anne smiled kindly at him. "Is Gilbert here?"

She could feel her hands clamping up as the nerves kicked in. She wanted to turn and go home, but it was too late now.

"Blythe! There's someone here to see you." Bash shouted out into the house.

"Who is it?" Gilbert's soft voice shouted back. His footsteps got louder – indicating that he was making his way towards the front door – causing Anne to become more nervous if that was even possible.

"It's Mrs Lynde." Bash jokingly replied, with a grin playing across his face.

"Mrs Lynde?" Gilbert questioned, making his way closer to the door. "What is she doin– Anne." 

Gilbert was startled to see her, but he felt so much relief as well. He had been hoping to see her and hadn't stopped thinking of the red-haired girl all day.

"Anne, hi. What are you doing here?" Gilbert asked, gaining some words in his mind and allowing them to flow freely off his tongue.

Anne had been avoiding making eye contact, but as soon as she stole a single glance, she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," Anne admitted to him, examining his face for a reaction.

"Ah, yes. Blythe did tell me about that." Sebastian suddenly butted in, causing both Gilbert and Anne to break eye contact and stare at him in utter exasperation.

Gilbert rolled his eyes at Sebastian's comment, knowing it was only normal for him to tease Gilbert about Anne.

"Here, why don't you come inside." Gilbert offered, stepping aside so Anne could make her way through the doorway and into the warmth.

The heat hit her like a brick wall, and a strong aroma of what must have been Gilbert and Sebastian's lunch made her mouth water. 

The room was silent for a long while, as they sat in the living room together, and an awkwardness surrounded them. Sebastian was sitting in front of the fire, keeping warm, mesmerised by the dancing flames.

"Are you two going to speak, or not? I was hoping you would become friends again or even..." Sebastian cut his sentence short when Gilbert shot him a glare, letting him know to keep quiet.

Standing up, Sebastian raised his hands in surrender. He had come to the conclusion that they needed to speak alone, as much as he wanted to witness the whole ordeal.

"Okay, fine. I'll be outside, freezing to death, whilst you two confess your love to each other." Sebastian said matter of factly, making both Gilbert and Anne choke on air and causing their eyes to bulge out of their heads in shock.

Sebastian departed, leaving Gilbert and Anne in the room on their lonesome.

"I'm sorry that I ran away yesterday," Anne spoke finally, breaking the silence. "And I'm sorry that I ignored you."

"No. I'm the one who should apologise," Gilbert said sincerely, turning to look at Anne. "I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that. But you must know, I wanted to defend you. Billy Andrews was cruel, they all were, and I–"

Anne felt a slight smile spread across her face, as she listened to him. "Thank you."

The apologetic remarks had ended there, and they spoke further of school, spelling, and where the future might lead them. Gilbert smiled longingly as he listened to Anne ramble about her life. He loved to hear her speak of the things most important to her, and the little nothings like the way the sun kissed the snow.

Time ticked by and the sun fell beneath the horizon. It was getting late and Anne needed to be heading home to Green Gables.

"It's getting dark, Anne. I'll walk you." Gilbert insisted, being the gentleman that he was, and helping Anne with her coat.

Anne gladly accepted, and they ventured out into the cold of the night, leaving behind the warmth and the sweet discussions that they had shared.


	6. can't go back now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙤𝙣  
> 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙣𝙤𝙬."
> 
> — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀

The cold night air whirled it's way between the trees, chasing Anne and Gilbert down the path. The moonshine and the stars were blocked out by the clouds that had rolled in earlier that evening, making it near to impossible for the two teenagers to see the path of dirt and snow beneath their feet.

Anne shivered, and she could hear Gilbert's teeth chattering from a few feet to her right. To think he would have to walk back home in the cold after they arrived at Green Gables.

"Don't feel obliged to walk with me the whole way home," Anne said openly, with worrisome in her voice. "You'll catch your death out in this night air."

"I don't feel obliged." Gilbert chuckled, taking a glance at Anne, and seeing how soft her skin looked in the faint light of the moon. "I wanted to."

He ended his sentence there, not going into any detail about if he meant one thing or another. Anne smiled at his comment, but still couldn't help but wonder about the full meaning behind it.

Gilbert knew that he liked Anne. He couldn't see her as anything less than a friend, but even the word 'friend' caused him to feel saddened. He just wasn't sure of himself about how deeply he felt about her yet.

"I must apologise about Bash earlier." He sighed, rolling his eyes at Sebastian's comments from earlier that afternoon, and rubbed the back of his neck. "He goes off on a tangent when he's passionate about something."

A silence fell between them as what Sebastian had said dawned on them. Anne wondered why he had said such a thing about the two confessing feelings of love to one another. Could he possibly have meant that Gilbert... No, of course not. 

"That's alright." She stumbled on her words, as she didn't know what else to say. Her heart was beating at light speed, and she hoped that Gilbert wouldn't notice the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

Snow began to fall from the sky above them, passing through the branches of the trees, and settling on their shoulders. The darkness had fully enclosed around them, and not even the faint light of moonshine behind the clouds could be seen.

"We should have reached Green Gables by now," Anne said, with worrisome laced through her voice. She bit her lower lip in confusion, but continued walking, nonetheless.

"Perhaps we took a wrong turn," Gilbert replied, taking a step closer to Anne's side. "Everything looks the same out here."

She was scared. Gilbert knew she was. She just wanted to keep it hidden and pretend that everything was okay.

They had both grown worried, and yet they continued along the invisible path until hours had passed by. Gilbert stopped all of a sudden, grasping onto the glove covered hand of Anne. She looked down at her hand and then up at Gilbert. She was at a loss for words.

"We can't keep going like this, Anne." Gilbert almost mumbled as he closed his eyes.

He knew how determined Anne was to return home to Green Gables. But after hours of walking already, he had grown drowsy and sore, and he was sure that Anne had too.

"No. We are almost there. We have to be." Anne replied, not so convincingly.

She knew that they were lost, and wouldn't be finding their way back in the dark. At that moment, all she wanted was to be wrapped in Marilla and Matthew's arms, at home. Oh, how worried they must be.

"This is your fault," Anne said rudely to Gilbert, who was now at a loss for words. "If you hadn't said that you would kiss me, then maybe we wouldn't be lost in the middle of a forest right now!"

"Don't blame me!" Gilbert retorted, then sighing loudly. "Can we please not argue about this. Let's just find a place to sleep, and then we can contradict each other in the morning."

Anne reluctantly agreed to Gilbert's terms, and followed him further through the forest, until they reached a clearing. The snow was soft and untouched, sheltered by trees to make the perfect overnight sanctuary.

Resting against a tree, Anne shivered uncontrollably amongst the snow that surrounded her. She closed her eyes, attempting to wish away this tragedy, and be back home. Oh, how she missed Marilla and Matthew, not to mention her much needed dinner.

Tears began to form in her eyes, and they stung as they attempted to break free. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she quickly wiped them away, before Gilbert could catch a glimpse.  
The slight feeling of warmth interrupted her thoughts, as she looked next to her, seeing Gilbert resting upon the same tree. Their shoulders were touching, and her shivering eased ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?" Anne suddenly spoke up, grabbing his attention.

"I'm going to sleep, as you should be doing, what does it look like?" Gilbert stated, matter of factly, as he wondered what could possibly be running through her head.

"But why are you next to me?" She gulped. She felt stupid for even asking such a thing, and was afraid that he would move to another tree, leaving her to feel alone.

Gilbert smiled knowingly at her. There were two reasons why he was so close to her, but he would only allow one to be heard by Anne. For the moment, at least.

"Body heat is the best way to keep warm, in a situation like this." He proudly stated.

Anne was speechless. How could he know something that she didn't? She hated the fact that Gilbert was the smartest boy in school, yet she loved it at the same time because it made him real competition.

He could see the look of confusion and annoyance on her face, even through the dark of the dreary night. He smiled at her sweetly. She looked so cute when she was at a loss for words. But to be fair, Gilbert always found her cute.

"Right." Anne finally said, shocked, how could she have possibly not known that? "Good idea, Doctor Blythe."


	7. falling apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚, 𝙄'𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩  
> 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠."
> 
> — 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀

The sun had not yet risen in the sky when Anne arose in a panic from her slumber. She had hoped it had only been a terrible nightmare, but to her consternation, it was real.

Fog had rolled in on the forest floor overnight, wrapping around the tree trunks and enveloping Gilbert and Anne in a cocoon of white cloud. The trees were only visible a few metres in front of them, like a haunted forest hiding mysteries within its depths.

The dark of night reminded Anne of the ghost stories she had once imagined with Diana and Ruby. It frightened her when she heard the rustling of branches in the distance, and she nestled further into the tree that she had been sleeping against.

Anne felt movement against her arm, causing her to jolt away at the touch. Her heart was pounding with fear, the thought of being lost and alone in the middle of a forest was getting the better of her. She relaxed slightly as she turned to see Gilbert sleeping peacefully next to her, his head rested gently against the side of her arm. How he could possibly be sleeping so soundly at this dreary time, Anne would never know.

A sudden wave of thirst washed over Anne. It had been hours since she last had a drink, and the thought of being without a necessity such as water only frightened her more. 

She longed for a steaming cup of Marilla's tea. She tried her best at imagining the intoxicating scent that would circulate her head before taking a sip, but she only felt coldness as she breathed in. A coldness that had numbed her nose, making it hard to imagine even the simplest of smells.

Anne stood carefully from the tree, making sure not to disturb Gilbert from his slumber. She felt an ache in her limbs as she stretched out, the coldness was running through her bones causing her to feel stiff.

Taking a step forward, Anne glanced back at Gilbert. She felt the need to wake him, but seeing his gentle face looking so calm, she figured it best not to drag him back to reality when he was clearly better off dreaming of a place far away from here.

She wandered forward through the trees, exiting the clearing that Anne and Gilbert had made their bed for the night. Turning her head back again before continuing through the trees, Anne could no longer see Gilbert, his body had been engulfed by the fog that dragged its way across the forest floor.

The sound of running water trickling past trees sent a wave of relief down Anne's spine. She bounded forward, winding her way further through the branches that reached out to catch her on the way past.

Sure enough, a stream appeared in front of her. The water was icy cold, and it was a mystery that it hadn't frozen over yet in this weather. Anne's hands burned as she reached in to collect a handful. It always seemed strange to her how something so cold could burn into skin as if it were hot like fire.

The sudden sound of a branch cracking echoed past Anne and circled around her head. She stood in a hurry, peering into the surrounding darkness in search of where the noise had come from. Her heart was pounding in her chest, she could have sworn she saw something move in the shadows.

"Gilbert?" Anne questioned as she stepped forward, her breath caught in her throat.

She slowly began to make her way back the way she came, when another crack trembled towards her. She picked up her pace, racing through the trees, trying to make her way back to the clearing as quickly as possible.

"Gilbert!" Anne shouted out as she ran.

Branches got caught in her hair, as she brushed through tight spaces in the trees, dragging her backwards like ghosts and skeletons holding her captive. Everywhere looked the same, nothing looked familiar. She had gotten turned around in an uncoordinated attempt to unhook herself from the branches.

Panic-stricken, Anne fell to the ground in tears, her whole body was trembling with fear. How would she be able to find her way back home to Green Gables if she couldn't even find her way back to the place she had spent the night.

Anne flinched as the feeling of warmth wrapped around her body. She sobbed into the soft clothing of the figure that was pressed against her, attempting to soothe the deflated girl amongst the snow.

"Anne." Gilbert's soft voice filled her ears. She relaxed, knowing now that she was not alone any longer. "Where were you? I woke up and you were gone."

"I went to find water. I heard a noise and I couldn't find my way back." Anne sniffed as the words got caught in her throat, unintentionally breathing in Gilbert's scent.

"You should have woken me," Gilbert said truthfully, lifting Anne's face to meet his own.

"You shouldn't be out here on your own, I would have gone with you."

Anne knew that he was right, she never should have wandered off on her own. It was a mistake that she would never make again while not knowing her exact whereabouts. She had been so afraid that night, and not that she would admit it to Gilbert, but she wished she could have stayed nestled into him at the tree where they had fallen asleep.

Gilbert kept his arm wrapped around Anne's shoulder as he helped her to get back on her feet. The sky slowly faded from black to grey, clouds still filling the sky and blocking out the sun. The fog would drift away after morning and a new blanket of snow would soon cover the footprints of the dreadful night before.


	8. homesick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.  
> 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨."
> 
> — 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗘𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝘁. 𝗞𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗱

The feeling of Gilbert's hands wrapped around Anne's small frame had been circling her mind since the early hours of the morning. He had comforted her with such ease as if it came as naturally to him as breathing.

Gilbert's soft eyes watched on, as Anne fumbled with the armload of sticks that she was carrying towards the clearing. A small circle amongst the snow had been dug down to the earth, acting as a pit for a fire, so as to keep them warm.

He raced over, agile as ever, and scooped the wood from Anne's grasp. He figured she would have made some remark about girls being just as capable as boys, but seeing as her mind was preoccupied with the events of last night, it was safe to say she wouldn't be arguing with him at that very moment.

Although Gilbert preferred having meaningful and heartfelt conversations with Anne, he couldn't help but hope for the slightest hint of a quarrel arising between them. He loved to see how invested and strong-willed she became when speaking of such things that she believed in so deeply. He had always admired how open-minded and passionate Anne was.

Gilbert carried the wood over to the pit, opening his arms and letting it fall to the ground in a thud. Anne knelt down next to him, helping to set up the sticks in a pyramid shape. Normally logs of wood would be thrown into an already hot furnace, but the two lost teenagers had to make do with the cold kindling that was available to them.

Struggling to get a spark to light, Anne reached over, placing her hands on his. Gilbert's breathing faulted as he looked up into Anne's deep blue eyes, which were reflecting the ice crystals of the snow beneath their feet, causing him to get lost in them. 

Anne's soft hands grasped the sticks that he had been using to create a spark, and he slowly let go, allowing her to take them from him.

"Here, let me show you." Anne smiled gently at Gilbert, making his heart skip a beat. "I read a book about this once."

He watched on as she created sparks with such patience, such skill, and such ease. He wondered how they could possibly be tied with their studies at school when Anne was so clearly more experienced in certain aspects than him.

They both had their moments, but Gilbert believed that Anne deserved so much better than what she had been given credit for – particularly when Mr Philips had been their unequipped teacher.  
A flame ignited from the sparks, creating an instant emergence of heat between them. Although the flames were small, it took the chill off both Gilbert and Anne, and warmed away the numbness from their hands and feet.

Anne imagined being tucked up in the living room of Green Gables, as she watched the flames dance around. She missed the smell of Marilla's cooking wafting through the door as she waited eagerly by the burning fire. She missed Matthew, and how he would often forget to take his boots off before entering the house. She missed home and everything that came with it.

"Gilbert?" Anne almost whispered, blinking away the tears that had been forming in her eyes.

"Yeah?" Gilbert replied, looking up at Anne to see her hair as vibrant as the flames they had both been watching moments ago.

"What if we never find our way home." She gulped, looking at the entrancing flames that were burning in front of her.

Gilbert didn't speak a word. The possibility of never getting home hadn't even crossed his mind. He figured they would eventually just find themselves in the middle of town, and all their worries would disappear.

"What if I never see Diana again." Anne continued, her bottom lip trembling at the thought. "Or Marilla, or Matthew."

Anne's mind jumped to all sorts of conclusions as to how she and Gilbert would survive alone in the forest. Would they hunt the animals? Fish in the stream? Make clothes out of fallen leaves when they eventually out-grew the clothes they had?

Gilbert stood from the opposite side of the fire and knelt on the ground next to Anne, holding her head in his hands.

"Anne." He said firmly yet softly so that she would look at him. "We are going to be alright."

"But–" Anne interrupted until she was cut off by Gilbert as he continued speaking.

"We are going to be alright." He said even more firmly, as to get her to listen. "Whatever happens, happens. We will always have each other, and that's all that matters. You're not alone, Anne. You've got me." 

His words soothed Anne, but she still couldn't wipe away the thought of being lost for the rest of her life. She had only a few years with the Cuthbert's in Avonlea, and now she had disappeared from their lives so suddenly.

Knowing that Gilbert was probably right in assuming they would somehow stumble upon the town gave her a little more ease, and she hoped they would soon find their way home.

Gilbert removed his hands from Anne's cheeks and sat with a thud on the snow next to her. A thought crossed his mind as he examined Anne's tired face whilst she continued watching the fire that would soon die down. It was a horrible thing to want, but Gilbert hoped – deep down – that they could stay lost together for a little while longer.


	9. where are you now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜  
> 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙄 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚,  
> 𝙄 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣."
> 
> — 𝗠𝘂𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 & 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝘀

Since the night that Anne had not returned to Green Gables, Marilla had been utterly distraught. Matthew had tried his best at assuring his sister that Anne would be okay and that she would soon return home. His efforts were useless though, as he too was concerned about young Anne.

Marilla and Matthew spent the night knocking on doors in an attempt to find Anne. The Barry's were first on the list. Diana was a wreck when she heard of her best friend's disappearance, but managed to find the words to tell the Cuthbert's that Anne was heading to Gilbert Blythe's house that afternoon.

The Blythe house was silent and pitch black - not a single candle was lit. A sudden bashing of the door hurtled through the house as Marilla hurriedly knocked, in an effort to wake anyone who slept inside.

The door had swung open suddenly, and there stood a dishevelled Sebastian, looking as if he had been woken from the dead.

"Oh, Sebastian!" Marilla said. "Is Anne here? She hasn't come home and I'm terrified something has happened to her."

"No, I'm afraid she's not. She and Gilbert left hours ago." Sebastian had stated with a look of confusion on his face.

They had called out for Gilbert that night, and when they received no answer, they checked his room for any sign of life. His bed had not been touched, and the candle not lit, indicating that he too had not returned home that night.

Sunday passed by, and still, no sign of Anne Shirley-Cuthbert or Gilbert Blythe. Matthew had been out the entire day in search of his beloved daughter. Marilla was home feeling ill, with the company of Rachel Lynde – the thought of Anne not being alright had sickened her, she wanted to do something to help, but she couldn't.

When Monday had finally rolled around, and there were still no sightings of Anne or Gilbert, Matthew and Marilla had set off to tell as many people as possible about the disappearance of the two teenagers.

Diana hadn't gotten a wink of sleep since the night Anne had disappeared. She couldn't help but think the absolute worst and worry about what happened to her best friend. She arrived at the schoolhouse early, as per usual, and placed her belongings in the familiar place in the coat room.

"Charlie!" Diana called out to Charlie Sloane who was already sitting in his assigned seat on the boys' side of the class. She walked as fast as she could, without running, because as her mother so dutifully pointed out; "There is no need for a woman to run."

"Have you seen Gilbert?" She began, standing in front of Charlie's desk. "Miss Cuthbert came to my house late last night wondering if I had seen Anne. Apparently, she and Gilbert have gone missing."

"No, I haven't seen him since school on Friday. I wonder what's happened to them." Charlie stated, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to come up with some sort of explanation. "Perhaps they admitted they are in love with each other and ran away to get married." He chuckled, attempting to make light of the situation. 

Diana rolled her eyes at him and gave him a look as if to say; "Be serious for a moment, quit messing around."

"Who ran away to get married?" Billy Andrews butted in from behind Charlie. He wore the usual arrogant smirk and had the stance of someone that wasn't going to leave until he got an answer.  
"Anne and Gilbert," Charlie replied without thinking.

"Charlie!" Diana scolded him, and he mentally slapped himself on the back of the head when he realised what he had said.

Billy doubled over in laughter at what he had just heard, his voice bellowing throughout the room.

"Gilbert Blythe is marrying that ugly orphan!" He laughed, making the entire class go silent. 

Oh, how one joke from Charlie Sloane could turn into a rumour so big, Diana would never know. All of the students were buzzing with the news and couldn't talk about anything else.

"Is it true Diana. Have they really gone to get married?" Ruby's voice cracked from across the room. She looked so vulnerable at that moment, it was heartbreaking.

"No, Ruby." Diana reassured. "That was just Billy being Billy."

"Well, of course, it's true!" Josie Pie announced. "You all saw how they looked at each other when Gilbert returned to Avonlea."

Multiple students nodded in response. Apparently, it was common knowledge about how Gilbert and Anne felt about each other. Anyone paying attention to the details could see it.

The door flew open, and a flurry of snow burst through the door, along with a shivering Miss Stacey. "Take your seats, everyone." She said, causing the students to scurry to the desks.

"Now, I have some important information this morning." She announced when she reached the front of the class. "I have been informed that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert did not return home last night, and neither did Gilbert Blythe. If anyone sees them or has any information regarding their whereabouts, please let me or a parent know immediately."

The whispers soon arose again from the students. Whether it be true or not, the rumour had started and they weren't going to drop it so easily.

"They ran away to get married." Josie Pie snickered, making Miss Stacey gasp in shock.

School went by slowly that day, it just wasn't the same without dear Anne. Diana had tried her best at telling her friends that what they had heard that morning wasn't true. As much as Ruby wanted to believe it, she still felt sad at the thought that Gilbert might be interested in someone else.

Charlie and Diana walked part of the way home together when school was over. Both of their best friends had gone missing so unexpectedly, they needed to do something about it.  
"You don't think they actually would have, do you? You know, get married?" Diana asked him before they parted ways that afternoon.

Charlie shook his head in response. He knew his best friend, and he knew that it wasn't something that he would do. Even with the girl that was so obviously perfect for him. He expressed his reasoning to Diana, and she knew that he was right.

"As obvious as it is to us that they have feelings for each other, the two of them haven't quite figured it out yet."


	10. days gone by

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙒𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙮,  
> 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧."
> 
> — 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝘁. 𝗗𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵

It was Monday evening, and the sky had cleared just enough for Anne and Gilbert to see the sun setting, beginning their third night of being lost. They hadn't had much luck whatsoever when it came to finding a place that seemed slightly familiar to them.

Although Anne loathed being astray, she was glad that it was with Gilbert. One of the many reasons being that both were missing a day of school, therefore meaning that neither one would feel the need to defeat the other once they returned. They were tied, and Anne enjoyed not constantly wanting to overthrow her usual competitor.

Another reason was that she felt safe with him – like even in the midst of so much heartache and fear, she knew that she would be alright in the end, all thanks to Gilbert.

It was nice just being together, the silence was peaceful, even with the thought of being lost continuously circling their heads. They enjoyed not feeling the pressure of society or having watchful eyes tracking their every move – particularly Anne.

They had found themselves on a small mound, not too far from the clearing that they had made their bed. It wasn't quite high enough to see their distant surroundings, but it had just the right amount of height to watch the sunset before it disappeared beneath the horizon and into another day.

Anne watched on, waiting for the skies to change colour before her eyes. As if by magic, it turned from a greyish blue to vibrant pinks and purples almost instantaneously, taking Anne by surprise.

"I've never seen anything so miraculous." Anne breathed out, entranced by the colours. 

She had never taken the time before to watch the sunset in all its glory. She had always appreciated the light in the sky, such as the moonshine and the midday sun, yet she hadn't paid much attention to the setting of old and the rising of new.

It reminded Gilbert of the skies he saw in Trinidad and on the open ocean. Although in both places he felt lost, figuratively and literally, he had an inkling that even here - even now, he was home. Gilbert knew the reasoning behind that feeling. It wasn't just the thought of being so close to Avonlea, it was the person with him.

The colours above them changed again, this time to a whole spectrum of orange. Gilbert noticed how it made Anne's hair light up like fire. She fit in so wonderfully with the vibrant reds and oranges that he couldn't stop himself from staring.

Anne was so enraptured by what she was watching that she hadn't even felt eyes on her. The pair of eyes, nonetheless, that belonged to the boy who sat mere inches away from her.

"It's glorious don't you think? No. Not glorious. Glorious doesn't quite fit how beautiful this is." Anne rambled on thinking of words that suited the sight in all perfectness. "Sublime and exquisite – wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Gilbert said, looking straight at Anne, no longer noticing that the sky was changing colour before their very eyes. "It's beautiful."

The sun had lit up every inch of the evening sky, hitting every tree and rock, and reflecting off the snow, making it the brightest that Anne had ever seen – and yet, Gilbert felt as though he was in total darkness, with the only light he could see being Anne herself.

As Gilbert continued to get lost in Anne, he felt as though everything had changed between them. That wasn't true of course, everything was as it had always been – he was Gilbert and she was Anne. Nothing was different, but somehow, nothing felt the same.

There was just something about her that made him feel something – something he had never felt before, and yet it had always been there. It was right between them, buried by a mess of walls and emotions, and had somehow made its way to the surface.

He wondered if it was ever obvious to others about the way he felt. Clearly, in the eyes of Sebastian, it was, who would always make some remark to the subject at the slightest mention of Anne's name. Gilbert had always denied it, but he knew now that it was true.

He never wanted the feeling to fade, he wanted to feel it in every inch of himself for all eternity. He wanted Anne to know, and he wanted her to eventually feel the same way in return. He knew exactly how he felt now, and he wasn't about to let anything stand in the way of that.

Gilbert couldn't stop the hurricane of emotions from rushing through him. It was at that moment that he realised, he was completely and hopelessly in love with Anne.


	11. in my arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙂𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚  
> 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚.  
> 3𝘼𝙈 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨."
> 
> — 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗪

The sun had set beyond perfectly that evening, and Gilbert had thanked the universe a thousand times for allowing Anne to be by his side – even in these particular circumstances.

He lay awake as the moonshine illuminated the night sky and lit up Anne's soft skin as she slept peacefully on the forest floor. She had fallen asleep in Gilbert's arms that night – hoping to keep warm in the icy air. Gilbert, on the other hand, had not gotten a wink of sleep yet. His mind was racing, and with the girl that he felt so deeply for nestled into him, it was hard to think of anything but her.

He wanted to wake her and tell her about how he felt, but he didn't want to scare her off – especially in a time when they needed each other the most. He felt as though he would lose her if he spoke his feelings at the wrong moment. Gilbert could handle not having Anne as only his for a little while longer, but he couldn't handle losing her as a friend, which would mean losing her completely.

Gilbert's thoughts cut short as a gust of wind blew over them, and Anne nestled further into his warm body. Her eyelids fluttered ever so slightly – as if in a dream – and she mumbled something under her breath. Gilbert couldn't quite hear what she had said. It was muffled in his shirt, where her head lay, and he could only make out what he thought to be the words; "I" and "you".

There was something behind Anne's eyes, as she slept on through the night – something that she was hiding from the world. Even when she spoke words in her sleep, the universe seemed to be on her side and made sure nothing could be heard. 

Gilbert was curious to know what she had said, his heart skipping beats as he thought of all the possibilities. Only when he felt his eyes finally close, did he try to shut off his thoughts and drift off into the night. His mind still wandered, even as he seeped into unconsciousness, dreaming effortlessly of the girl wrapped in his arms.

Anne woke first that morning as the sun rose into the day. Her head was resting on Gilbert's chest, the sound of his heart beating was peaceful and relaxing, and she could feel herself rising and falling with every breath he took.

Her body lay on top of his, both perfectly aligned with each other. Anne attempted to roll off of Gilbert as carefully as possible, without disturbing him from his slumber. The effort was useless, however, as Anne realised that she was being held to him by his arms still wrapped around her small frame.

Anne knew that being like this together in such an intimate manner was wrong, and yet something about it felt completely and utterly right.

Gilbert stirred underneath her, his eyes fluttering open, blinking in the new day. He looked at Anne who still lay on top of him, and smiled to himself. He liked the way she felt in his arms, and the smell of her hair so close – but he reluctantly loosened his grip on her, knowing that she wasn't his to hold.

Feeling the lack of arms holding her still, Anne rolled off of Gilbert as she had previously tried that morning, and found herself sitting next to him. They just watched each other in that moment, still waking from their sleep, not feeling the need to talk.

A rustling sound close by drew their attention away from each other. It was a fox. A fox that Anne knew all too well. The fox with the black tail.

Gilbert, feeling a sudden sense of protectiveness, got to his feet and stood in front of Anne who was still sitting on the ground. He felt the need to protect her, and so he began shooing the little animal away from them.

Anne jumped to her feet in an instant and put herself between Gilbert and the fox. "Gilbert, stop!" She whispered assertively, causing him to look at her. "I know him."

She bent down into the snow, her knees feeling the coldness rushing through them. Reaching a hand out encouragingly, she invited the small critter forward. Gilbert stood behind her, watching the scene take place before his eyes. He was scared for her, and yet he trusted her judgment completely and knew deep down that she would be okay.

The fox crept forward, cautiously watching both Anne and Gilbert as it did so. Inch by inch it got closer to Anne, and soon enough it was only a foot length away from her awaiting hand.

Gilbert was so amazed by the girl in front of him, that he bent down beside her – but, as he did so, a stick cracked beneath his foot. Startled, the fox was gone in an instant, as if it had only been a figure of their imagination.

"Gilbert!" Anne blurted out, annoyed.

"I'm sorry." He replied honestly, but he couldn't stop a loving smile from creeping onto his face. He watched her exasperated expression leave her face as she examined his.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She said, softening her voice, unable to stay mad at him when he was watching her with an emotion that she couldn't quite place.

"Come on," Gilbert said, picking himself up from the ground and avoiding the question. "The fox could lead us back to Avonlea."

He reached a hand down to Anne, and she took it gladly, being hauled from the ground. Anne glanced down to see her hand neatly woven into Gilbert's. They fit so perfectly together and it felt ever so normal, making her unable to bring herself to pull away from him.

Hand-in-hand, they followed the footprints through the snow, leaving the clearing that had once been their bed.


	12. somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙.  
> 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙬𝙖𝙮  
> 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙."
> 
> — 𝗞𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲

The wind whistled in the trees, brushing past Gilbert and Anne as they walked deeper into the woods. The footprints they had been following had faded from the blowing breeze, and they were left to try and make their own way once again.

Their hands still held each other loosely, radiating a pocket of warmth between them. It was a simple thing, and yet neither wanted to be the one to let go first.

Anne's legs were growing tired and achy – never had she walked so far before. It was difficult to tell exactly how much distance they had covered when everything surrounding them looked the same.

Had they been wandering in circles for days? Or had they travelled far beyond Avonlea, and over the other side of Prince Edward Island? Surely they would come across some form of civilisation before tipping off the edge of the earth.

Anne's mind drifted. She hoped they hadn't accidentally passed through a portal to a world of never-ending trees – or jumped back in time to before the town of Avonlea was built. It was a silly and childish thought to have, but it was a possibility, nonetheless.

Gilbert felt a pang of guilt inside him as they continued walking. He couldn't help but think that he was partly to blame for getting himself and Anne lost. It was selfish of him to want to be alone with her a little while longer – and he figured that somehow that selfishness had transferred into reality.

He wanted to be selfish with her. He wanted her to be his and only his. But above all that he wanted her to be home, safe, with the people that she loves.

Gilbert also wanted to be home. He missed Sebastian, and he just hoped that he wasn't too much of a mess without him around to help. Oh, what a field day Bash would have when Gilbert tells him about the not so enthralling adventure in the woods with Anne.

He could hear Bash's voice ringing through his head; "I told you that you were in love with Anne." And he rolled his eyes at the mere thought.

It had been extremely foolish on his part to not admit his true feelings – to himself and to everyone else. How could he have kept it hidden for so long, when all he wanted to do now was sing it to the trees, the sky, and the girl so close.

Anne, feeling her legs buckle beneath her, tumbled forward onto the snow-covered ground. Gilbert was pulled down into a heap next to her, their fingers tangled up in a mess between them.  
"Sorry." Anne groaned, sitting up and dusting the dry snow from her dress.

"You don't have to apologise," Gilbert stated, looking at her with sorrowful eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm just tired is all." She smiled weakly at him. "The numbness seems to have finally spread to my legs."

"I'll carry you," Gilbert stated rationally. 

He could see the hesitant look in Anne's face. She could be so stubborn at times and he knew that she would insist on walking even with her immobile legs.

"Anne, you can't walk like this." He said calmly, attempting to get her to listen – which he managed to succeed in. "I'll carry you."

He removed his coat without a second thought and wrapped it securely around her legs in order to revive them, his own body now feeling the chill from the frozen air. 

"Gilbert, you'll freeze to death!" Anne argued, worrisome in her voice, but it was no use – he continued his action nonetheless.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He encouraged, not so convincingly, gaining a sceptical look from Anne.

With one arm around her back and the other under her legs, he scooped Anne up off the ground. It was in the fashion that a husband carries their wife on the night of their wedding. He shook his head, trying to get the thought out, but more just pushed their way in.

The way she was pressed against him made his heart race. Her head rested on his shoulder as he carried her through the winding trees. She dozed off slowly, feeling content and relaxed, in Gilbert's arms. He just hoped, in the midst of it all, that her heart was racing too.

When Anne awoke, still in his arms, she noticed the sky above her dimming to black. She looked at Gilbert, his eyes were weary yet he continued to walk on.

Taking in her new surroundings, glancing from tree to tree, she got the sense that she had been here before. And as darkness fell on them once again, and the sun dropped behind the horizon, Anne felt as though she knew this place – a familiar feeling, like home.


	13. belief over misery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙮.  
> 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨."
> 
> — 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁

The setting they had found themselves in was oh so familiar to Anne. The atmosphere around them was clearer than it had been for days, as if she could now see where she was heading for, yet without knowing exactly where they were.

It was her instinct telling her where to go. A gut feeling, with her senses running wild within her.

"Gilbert," Anne whispered, grabbing his attention out of the trance he had fallen into whilst walking. 

She looked at him with sad eyes, and he smiled down at her weakly in return, feeling the numbness setting in and his heartbeat growing slower. He put Anne gently on the ground before his arms gave way beneath her.

Anne fumbled as she unwrapped Gilbert's coat from her legs. He was past the point of shivering, his body now attempting to conserve as much energy as it could.

The coat was thrown around him in an instant, and a pair of slim arms entwined around his cold body. Anne couldn't believe that Gilbert had suffered like this for so long. But what she didn't know, and what she never would have believed, was that it was all for her. 

"You're like ice," Anne mumbled into Gilbert's shirt, his face rested on her shoulder. She was worried for him. It must have been hours since he had felt the feeling of warmth around his frozen body, but somehow he didn't seem fazed by it.

Perhaps he had become delusional in his weakened state, or maybe he just didn't believe that he was in as bad condition as he actually was. Whatever his reason, he continued to insist to Anne that he would be alright.

"I think I know this place," Anne whispered again, pulling her head away from Gilbert so he could hear her better. "It feels so familiar to me."

"I recognise it too." Gilbert murmured in response, as he glanced around at the surrounding area. 

His fingers and toes tingled as the first wave of numbness slowly began to subside. Anne stayed with her arms around his torso, transferring body warmth into him, heating him slowly from the outside in.

They stood simultaneously from the ground, and Anne pulled away from him slowly, looking up at his tired eyes. If she wasn't still holding him, she was sure that he would have toppled over into the snow.

They continued walking through the trees until Anne stopped abruptly in her tracks. She had walked down this path so many times before, she knew it like she knew the freckles on her face.

Grasping Gilbert's hand with her own, she bolted forward, following the path in the direction that her heart knew. Gilbert's legs picked up their pace, trying to stay with Anne as she dragged him around various trees.

She had her heart set on what was to happen next as she continued on running. They had come so far in the time that they had been lost, and she wasn't going to let another minute stand between themselves and the place she called home.

Their hearts were both pounding in their chests with anticipation, and as if it appeared out of the shadows, there it stood in front of them like it had been there all along.

Anne's eyes welled up with tears when she saw it. Although they had been lost for only a few days, she felt as if it had been a lifetime, and she didn't want to be away any longer.

Green Gables was just as she had left it. Impeccably clean and presentable as always, due to Marilla's undying need to keep it immaculate for the unknown visitors. Anne was sure there would still be the muddy scuff marks outside the front door, left behind from Matthew's old boots.

Bursting through the front door, they were met by a warmth that they hadn't felt in days. The aroma of Marilla's cooking still filled the air of the house, making their mouths water in hunger.  
"Marilla! Matthew!" Anne called out through the house, hoping for a response.

She was met only by silence, the sound of her own footsteps was the only thing she could hear as she ran into each room in search of her loved ones. Matthew and Marilla were nowhere to be found, leaving Anne and Gilbert alone once again.

Two plates, barely touched, still sat on the dining table. The food had gone cold, and Anne felt horrible knowing that the Cuthbert's must have been so consumed with worry that they couldn't finish their meals.

Gilbert and Anne had been starved for days, and even the cold food in front of them was appealing to their empty stomachs. They tucked in instantly, feeling the satisfaction of food finally entering their weakened bodies.

"You need to rest," Anne said to Gilbert from across the table, watching him struggle to keep his eyes open. He nodded his head in agreement, too weak and tired to say a word. 

They both groggily stood up from the table, their heads ready for unconsciousness and their bodies ready to collapse. The floorboards creaked underfoot as they made their way up the stairs and towards Anne's cozy bedroom.

As Anne sat down on her bed, she felt the softness of the quilt beneath her. She had longed to be back in her bed, and now here she was, and she never wanted to leave ever again.

"What are you doing?" Anne questioned as she watched Gilbert stand awkwardly in the centre of her bedroom.

He had never entered her room before, and he suddenly felt so out of place, as if he had wandered directly into her head. Even in the darkness, little trinkets could be seen scattered around her room. It was somewhat how he had imagined it – slightly disorganised, but full of mystery and wonder.

Anne lifted the blanket on one side of the bed and patted the mattress, indicating for Gilbert to climb in. He gulped. They had slept so close all those nights in the forest, so why was he now feeling as though he was going to cross a line?

It was the thought of a bed being involved that made it appear much more intimate than it actually was. What was so different about sleeping in each other's arms in the snow versus in a bed?

Anne's bed. Gilbert reminded himself. The thought of being tucked into a bed with her made him giddy, and he wanted nothing more in this moment.

He wanted to know what was running through Anne's mind. How did she really feel about sharing a – rather small yet cozy – bed with him? Sure, it had been her idea, but Gilbert would never forgive himself if it would make Anne even the slightest bit uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?" Gilbert breathed, looking between Anne and the warm bed.

"You can't sleep on the floor, Gilbert," Anne stated matter of factly, knowing full well that the floor is where he otherwise would have ended up.

They were both ready for a well-needed slumber, and Gilbert knew that an argument would lead to nowhere. He made his way slowly to the bed and climbed under the covers next to her.

It was warm like he had imagined, and he snuggled further into the blankets, soaking up the heat. Anne lay next to him, their arms pressed against each other in the centre of the bed, and he struggled to restrain himself from holding onto her hand.

As soon as both of their heads touched the pillow, they were out like lanterns – their minds drifting into the darkness, like the smoke of a flame.


	14. only in dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘼𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚,  
> 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚."
> 
> — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗢

A stream of light from the rising sun beamed through Anne's bedroom window, resting on her peaceful face where she slept and causing her eyes to flutter open, letting in the new day.

Anne bolted upright in her bed, her heart was pounding in her chest and she gasped for breath as she glanced around her room. She pinched her arm – so as to wake herself up from a dream – yet nothing happened. A small bruise was the only thing to appear.

She had been terrified to think that it was all just a dream and that she had never found home – but as she looked beside her, where a curly haired boy lay – she knew it was real, and she didn't want this reality to disappear into thin air.

Gilbert slept soundly beside her, one leg dangled out the side of the bed and an arm was outstretched onto Anne's side as if she had been sleeping on it through the night.

His hair was tousled and springy, and Anne had to restrain herself from running her fingers through it and feeling its softness in her hand. The blanket was strewn across the bed in such a manner that it appeared to have been fought over in the night – it seemed that Anne had won the battle, having more bedding on the side she had slept on. 

As Anne examined Gilbert's sleeping body she noticed that his shirt had ridden up, revealing a part of his stomach. She turned away blushing. She wasn't sure how to feel about it, but she knew that in this day and age, it wasn't something a girl should be looking at.

Everyone was so conservative, and she wondered why it had become the almighty norm to hide what was only natural to the human form. It was not something she planned on asking Marilla, however, knowing she would only be scolded for asking such an unseemly question.

A sudden thud caused Anne to jump, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked to where Gilbert had previously slept, seeing only an empty bed and a pained expression on Gilbert's face where he now lay on the floor.

"Gilbert!" Anne exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm swell." He replied sarcastically, rubbing his head and groaning as he sat up straight.

Floorboards creaked in the hallway and the door instantaneously swung open, revealing a dishevelled Matthew and Marilla. Their eyes were red and tired – Marilla's hair a mess, and Matthew's posture slumped.

"Oh, Anne!" Marilla cried out, seeing the young girl in front of her.

Hurtling over, Anne's eyes welled up with tears, and she engulfed her parents in a hug. It was sweet and long lasting, and no one wished for it to end.

Gilbert stood from the floor, watching the whole ordeal take place. He felt saddened that he wouldn't have his own father to hug when he was to finally return home. He hadn't spoken much of his father since his death – it was too difficult, too painful.

He was glad to have Sebastian, and he knew that both Bash and Mary would be happy to have him home safe.

Marilla pulled away from Anne to see Gilbert standing on his lonesome in the middle of the room. She wasn't usually one for showing affection, but just this once she made an exception by pulling him into her embrace, making him feel safe and at home.

"Might I ask, what happened to the two of you?" Matthew asked, feeling it was now the right moment to find out what had happened. "We were so worried."

"We lost our way when Gilbert was walking me home," Anne explained, thinking back to the night they had found themselves lost in the forest.

Marilla gasped at the thought of poor Anne and Gilbert being alone in the snowy forest, with the forces of nature crashing down on them.

"Oh, I wish we were here when you got home." Marilla almost sobbed. "We've been searching for you ever since that night you went missing."

Never before had Anne seen her in such a state. It both pained her and made her feel blessed to have gotten to see all sides of the great Marilla Cuthbert. She always appeared so closed off from her emotions and didn't open up to anyone, but now somehow, Anne felt as though they had grown much closer because of it.

"I should get home to Sebastian," Gilbert said, feeling it was time to depart Green Gables and return to his own loved ones.

"I shall give you a ride, Gilbert." Matthew offered and Gilbert accepted gratefully. After all he and Anne had been through, walking home did not seem like the best option.

As they made their way into the outdoors, Anne noticed the figure of Jerry Baynard by the barn. He looked up from his work, seeing Anne, and huge smiles spread across each of their faces.  
They ran at full speed towards one another, Anne flung her arms around him and Jerry wrapped his around her in return.

"I am so happy you are back," Jerry said gleefully in his soft French accent.

Gilbert watched the exchange between Jerry and Anne. His heart hammered with jealousy, the mere thought that perhaps there was something there between them wormed its way into his head, getting the better of him.

He knew that they were just friends, but he too had claimed for so long that he only saw Anne in that same light – which he knew now was a downright lie. He missed the feeling of having Anne infinitely his, not having to share her with the rest of the world.

Gilbert's thoughts were cut short, however, when Matthew came around with the wagon. He climbed in with ease and watched on as Jerry ran to fetch the gate, waiting patiently for them to depart. 

"I'll go with you," Anne announced, taking a step towards the wagon. Gilbert's heart skipped a beat at her proclamation.

"You need your rest, Anne." Marilla said sternly. "Not to mention some breakfast."

She reluctantly backed away, saying her goodbyes, and smiling to Gilbert as the wagon was pulled towards the gate by Belle. And as they finally turned the corner, Gilbert kept his eyes locked on Anne, watching her enter the house as if she had never left.


	15. when you wake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄𝙛 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚,  
> 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚."
> 
> — 𝗞𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲

Gilbert had arrived home to the Blythe farm, and as he expected, Sebastian had teased him tirelessly about Anne. It was a wonder to Gilbert how Bash always seemed to have an unlimited amount of energy when it came to talking about her – even when he appeared far too busy to speak, he could always manage to clear his schedule to poke fun.

"You were lost in the woods with Anne for four days, and you're telling me that nothing happened?" Bash had laughed, and Gilbert rolled his eyes dramatically in response.

"We're just friends, Bash." He informed, even though he was now fully aware of his feelings towards that fiery-tempered redhead.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Blythe." Bash said, shaking his head in annoyance to his friend's stubbornness.

The day soon turned to night and when Thursday morning came around, Anne was up with the birds before the sun had even begun to rise in the East. She was frenzied with excitement about returning to school. Oh, how she had missed her dearest friends, Diana Barry and Ruby Gillis.

The thought of having missed out on so much of her schooling had dawned on her in the night. She detested the feeling that she was going to be behind – but she calmed herself when she remembered that Gilbert had been in the same boat as her, and both were profoundly gifted at catching up.

"I don't want you to be out of my sight for a second!" Marilla told her, during breakfast.

"It's only school, Marilla." Anne sighed. "Would you not rather I am learning, than wasting my day cooped up in the kitchen like some old–"

She cut her sentence short, eyes bulging out of her head when she saw the look of utter wrath written across Marilla's face. Anne had not meant to cause her dissatisfaction – it just wasn't something on Anne's agenda that she wanted for her future.

"Oh, please, Marilla!" Anne begged over dramatically, falling to her knees and grovelling at her adoptive mother's feet.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Get off the floor, child!" Marilla gave up in exasperation. "You can go."

A huge smile spread from ear to ear on Anne's face, and she hugged Marilla tightly in her grasp.

"Thank you! I will return home as soon as school is over, I promise." She smiled with gratitude.

And with that, she eagerly departed Green Gables with her lunch basket and books in hand, following the trail towards the old school house.

Droplets of water from the melting snow fell down on Anne, from the canopy above, as she walked along the winding path. The days were getting warmer, and Spring would soon be upon them.  
She looked forward to seeing the flowers blooming with colour once again, and the trees returning to their leafy green state. The bees would soon be buzzing overhead, and the animals venturing out of hibernation, into the most miraculous time of year.

Further down the path, Anne could see Gilbert Blythe walking alone, tranquillity evident in the air surrounding him.

"Gilbert!" She called out, gaining his attention as she jogged to catch up with him.

"Anne. How have you been?" He asked her thoughtfully when she had caught up with him.

"Better, now that I'm home." She said truthfully. 

Never again did she ever wish to be lost in a forest – especially without Gilbert. He was one of the only people that she couldn't have gotten through the tragedy without, and she was so grateful that he had been by her side.

"Are you still planning on accompanying me to Charlottetown this coming weekend?" Gilbert asked with curiosity.

Anne had forgotten all about their previously planned trip. After everything they had been through, nothing else had crossed her mind for a second.

"I shall have to ask Marilla after school, but I can't make any promises." She said, full of disappointment. "She wasn't even going to allow me to return to school this morning!"

Gilbert understood completely. Mr and Ms Cuthbert had been so overwhelmed with worry that it was no wonder they were having difficulty letting Anne out of their sight. Even he, himself, had not found it easy leaving her behind the morning before.

As they turned the final corner on the path they had been following, the school appeared in front of them. Anne's heart beat in anticipation, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Allow me," Gilbert announced, clambering towards the door, so as to open it in a gentlemanly manner. They entered side by side, and as they did so, the entirety of the room fell silent.

"Anne!" Diana said in pure bliss at the sight of her bosom friend.

They engulfed each other in a hug, swaying gently back and forth. Multiple pairs of arms – belonging to Ruby, Jane, and Tillie – embraced them.

It was a beautiful sight to behold, and Gilbert smiled at the vast amounts of love that Anne received and reciprocated in return. He wondered how some people didn't love her. It was such a simple thing and could be done so easily once you knew her.

Yes, she had imperfections. But to Gilbert, all were unique and perfect in their own ways. There wasn't a single thing he could think of that he would change about her.

"Is it true that you and Gilbert ran away to get married?" Josie butted in, in her usual fashion, interrupting the displays of affection.

As if in synchronisation, Anne and Gilbert began choking and spluttering on the air that had gotten caught in their throats.

"Of course not!" Anne practically shrieked, finally finding the ability to speak.

Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, this was not how he had envisioned the day to go at all. Not even in the slightest.

"We got lost." He informed them, but some of the faces amongst the students didn't appear to have believed the truth that he told as he watched multiple eyes being rolled and brows being raised.

"Take your seats, everyone." Miss Stacey announced as she entered from the back room. "And welcome back Gilbert and Anne."

The students began clambering towards their desks, and as they did so, Anne and Gilbert couldn't take their eyes off of each other. Neither one noticed that the other was looking, of course, both being far too preoccupied in their own heads.

Two people who did notice, however, were Charlie and Diana. They were still standing in the middle of the room, watching the whole scene take place.

"So, is this thing between Gil and Anne supposed to be a secret?" Charlie whispered to Diana, raising his eyebrows.

"I'd hardly think so," Diana said. "The only people who seem to have no clue that Anne and Gilbert are in love, are Anne and Gilbert."

She was only half correct, of course. For, Gilbert now knew the truth about his feelings, and it was only Anne that still needed to venture into that part of her heart and discover what had been there all along.


	16. maybe, might

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚  
> 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙."
> 
> — 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆

As soon as Anne had arrived home from school, she made it her mission to convince Marilla that she could accompany Gilbert to Charlottetown. Marilla was wary of course – as she had been that morning – but she reluctantly agreed, nonetheless.

"You must go straight to Ms Barry's," Marilla had said gravely with great conviction in her voice. "No detours. I will not have you getting lost again."

Anne nodded her head wholeheartedly in response, not wanting to let Marilla down, nor wanting to find herself lost once again.

The train was scheduled to depart Avonlea on Saturday at noon. Gilbert had arrived prior to Anne's arrival, in a chivalrous fashion. He had high hopes that she would be joining him and as fate would have it, she arrived barely ten minutes after he did.

"Anne." Gilbert breathed effortlessly with a smile upon his face, standing from his seat so as to greet her. "I'm glad you could make it."

Her hair was done up in two perfect braids as per usual, with a pair of dainty blue ribbons tied up at the ends. The coat she was wearing hugged her shoulders snuggly, keeping her warm on the blustery afternoon.

Anne reached deep into her coat pocket, pulling out a stack of coins and displaying them in her palms in front of Gilbert.

"For the train fare." She declared, but Gilbert made no effort whatsoever to collect the money from her mitten-covered hands.

"You don't have to do that." He insisted as he curled her fingers back over the coins with his own.

"As a Cuthbert, I cannot accept charity." She stated plainly, holding her head high, causing Gilbert to feel a new sense of admiration for her.

"This isn't charity, Anne," he pointed out, slightly disappointed that she would even assume it was. "I invited you, it's my treat."

She cautiously placed the money safely back into her pocket, feeling guilty about the fact that Gilbert would be paying for both his and her train tickets. She allowed him the satisfaction, regardless.

The train ride was long-winded but somewhat enjoyable. The two teenagers sat across from one another, Anne looking out at the scenery and Gilbert looking only at her. She could feel his eyes on her as she admired the view, making her wonder what he must have been thinking. If it had been anyone else she would have felt uncomfortable, but there was just something about the way he looked at her that made her toes tingle and she didn't seem to mind one bit.

When the train had finally come to a stop, they collected their belongings and departed through the door in which they came. The station was far bigger than the one back home and the roads of Charlottetown were packed to the brim with people.

It was so different than that of Avonlea, which was a much more close-knit community. All sorts of people could be found here – ranging from the pompous traditionalists to the exquisitely unique individuals – and Anne found it ever so fascinating and enthralling.

It wasn't long before they began knocking on Josephine Barry's front door and they were met by her butler, Rollings.

"Miss Anne." He said surprised, opening the door wide for both Anne and Gilbert to enter. "Do come in."

The house was huge and extravagant – nothing like Gilbert had ever seen before. He felt as though he would find himself lost in one of the many hallways, attempting to find the exit as if in a maze.

"Anne!" Diana's great Aunt Josephine gleamed as they entered the living room, placing down her book to hug the girl who stood before her. "And who might this be?" She queried as she saw the handsome dark-haired boy standing tall in the doorway.

"Gilbert Blythe, ma'am." He introduced himself, taking a step into the room and outstretching his arm to shake her hand.

"It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. I have heard many things." She smirked slightly, shaking his hand warmly. "Whatever brings you two here?"

Anne explained how Gilbert was studying to become a doctor, gaining some work experience in the meantime, and that they would be returning home the very next afternoon.  
"I shall have some beds set up for you." Aunt Jo stated firmly, sending Rollings off to prepare the rooms.

"Thank you for the gracious offer Ms Barry, but there is no need. I planned on staying just outside of town." Gilbert explained, mentioning Mary's small but quaint house in the Bog.

"Nonsense! You are both welcome to stay here, with Cole and I. And please, call me Josephine." She insisted. 

Anne had become restless waiting for Cole to arrive, longing to wrap him in a much-needed hug. According to Aunt Jo, he had been assisting in setting up a small Art Gallery in town, which had made Anne smile at the fact that he was getting to do the thing he loved most.

When he finally arrived, both he and Anne were beyond thrilled to see each other – hugging one another tightly and chattering between themselves about both the simple and important things that they had missed out on while apart. They had written letters regularly, but it just wasn't the same as being next to him and hearing his voice.

Dinner had been beyond satisfying to their stomachs that evening and Anne had rambled on throughout the meal, filling her hosts in on the unexpected journey that she and Gilbert had happened upon in the forest back home.

The way that she spoke about the snow and the trees was so entrancing and Gilbert wished he could see the world through her eyes. It was a mystery to him how a girl who had suffered through so much in her short life could have the biggest imagination and see the absolute best in even the worst situation.

He watched her devotedly from across the table as she spoke with such passion, but what he didn't see was that both Aunt Jo and Cole were looking his way instead.

As the meal came to a close, Gilbert graciously thanked Josephine for dinner and excused himself politely from the table. He made his way towards what would be his room for the night, needing rest before assisting the doctor the very next day. 

Turning off the electric light, he crawled into bed and felt himself sink into the soft mattress. It was soft like a cloud and he felt as though he could stay wrapped up in the cocoon of quilts forever.

Just as he was about to drift off into a dream, he was pulled back into reality by a quiet but insistent knocking coming from the door. Gilbert groaned but managed to force himself out of bed, flicking the light back on and opening the door to find Cole standing there with a grin covering his face.

"So have you told her yet?" Cole smirked cheekily, walking casually into the room and making himself comfortable on the chair at the end of the bed.

Silence filled the room and Gilbert avoided making eye contact with him, along with the many paintings that appeared to be staring directly into his soul. Cole rolled his eyes in response, watching as the curly-haired boy sat down on the bed.

"Do you want to know what I think?" He spoke up again after realising that he wouldn't be getting any information out of Gilbert any time soon.

"I think you're gonna to tell me anyway," Gilbert said, throwing his head back on the cloud-like pillow and staring up at the ceiling.

He attempted to distract himself by counting the cracks above his head – he had an inkling about what Cole was going to say, only making him feel woozy and flustered.

"I think you like her," Cole said matter of factly, causing Gilbert to lift his head from the pillow and stare at him wide-eyed. "And I think she likes you too."

The sound of his own heart beating, out of time to its usual rhythm, was all he could hear. He hoped that what he had heard was the truth, but he needed first to hear those words from the seemingly oblivious redhead.

Anne had a way of making him feel whole again, as if nothing in his life felt complete without her in it. It was a sign. A sign that perhaps he should be telling her how he felt – but it just wasn't that simple. 

Everyone around him seemed to already know the truth about his feelings towards her, so why had it taken him so long to admit it to himself? And why did telling the girl whom he felt so deeply for seem like the hardest thing he would ever have to do?

The thought that she wouldn't feel the same way in return had dawned on him for a while now, making it near impossible for him to find the courage to say it aloud. He didn't want to drive her away, not when he already had her so close. Because at the end of the day, he figured it was better having her as a friend than nothing at all.


	17. since we connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙.  
> 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩."
> 
> — 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁

Charlottetown did not compare in the slightest to the mornings that occurred in Avonlea – the air was veiled with smoke and the sun-kissed horizon didn't light up the sky in the same extraordinary way – but it was beautiful, nonetheless.

Gilbert had drearily awoken from his lack of sleep, dragging himself out of bed and into the new day. The events of the night before played over and over in his mind, and he felt as though he couldn't escape the quandary that he had unexpectedly found himself in.

For being such a simple proclamation, it was proving day after day to be a total agony. It was no mystery to Gilbert why people would spend so much of their time hiding their deepest feelings, suffering through the overwhelming complexity that is life.

Departing the guest room, he groggily made his way down the hall, following the faint sound of singing that appeared to be coming from the kitchen. The voice was serene and tranquil as it danced off the walls, and he knew that it belonged only to Anne.

The kitchen was pleasantly snug as he entered the room, the fire burning alight. Cole was sitting comfortably at the table, picking away at a freshly baked muffin, and Anne could be seen - muffin in hand – waltzing around him in delight.

"Good morning," Gilbert announced, taking a seat at the table across from Cole.

"Gilbert, good morning." Anne smiled, acknowledging his presence in the room and taking a bite out of her muffin. "You must try one! They are simply divine!"

He reached over the table in order to grab one and he could feel the warmth still radiating off of them. True enough, they were splendidly delectable, and Gilbert had to restrain himself from scoffing down the lot.

Anne continued her dance and pulled Cole up from his seat, encouraging him to join her. Both still dressed in nightgowns with half-eaten muffins held in their grasp, they jumped around in a heartfelt manner, enjoying the simplicity of the moment that they shared.

Gilbert felt his heart miss several beats as he watched Anne in awe. He wished he could be the one to dance with her, but he feared that he would never get the chance.

"I should be heading off now to help the Doctor," Gilbert announced once the display of pure joy had ended, standing from the kitchen table.

Cole and Anne escorted him out of the kitchen and towards the front door, taking a step into the crisp morning air.

"I'll see you this afternoon." Anne beamed cheerfully, rubbing her arms to warm herself from the cold.

"See you," Gilbert replied with a smile playing on his lips.

His eyes locked on hers for a moment and suddenly, without even the hint of a single thought, he lent in. He had kissed her on the cheek as if it were an impulse, taking her completely by surprise.

Anne was beyond stunned – her eyes were wide and she had forgotten how to breathe. Cole stood, amused, behind Anne. A huge smirk was written across his face and he covered his mouth with his hands attempting to suppress a laugh.

She felt her words get caught in her throat, the only sound of her voice she could hear was the one in her head asking a million questions a minute. Why had Gilbert kissed her? What had been running through his mind to possess him to do such a thing? And why, of all things, was she feeling that it felt so right?

She watched on as Gilbert walked away calmly as if nothing had happened – as if he hadn't even realised what he had just done. 

As soon as he had turned the corner, out of sight of Anne and Cole, he stopped abruptly in his steps. It all of a sudden hit him like a knock to the head what he had done and he felt as though he was about to collapse to the ground, overwhelmed with uneasiness and embarrassment.

He touched his lips with his fingers for a brief moment, recollecting the feeling of Anne's soft skin beneath his touch. He enjoyed the feeling immensely but he wasn't sure that Anne would feel the same way. How he would be able to face her that afternoon, he was not eager to find out.

"I told you Gilbert had a crush on you," Cole smirked in Anne's direction, where they were still stood outside Aunt Josephine's house.

"No, he doesn't! Why do you keep saying that?" Anne asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, finally finding her voice after what seemed like an eternity of being trapped in her own thoughts.

"Well, he didn't deny it." Cole shrugged, walking back into the house as if it were just a usual Sunday morning.

"What!" Anne shrieked, turning on her heels and chasing him into the house, her complexion turning red. "You asked him?!"

Hours had begun to pass by and the thought still lingered at the front of her mind. She had tried countless times to think of something else – anything else – yet somehow it always managed to claw its way back in.

"Perhaps it was just a friendly kiss. You know, like you and I. Yes, that must be it." Anne tried to convince herself for the millionth time, ever so unsuccessfully, but she knew in her heart that it didn't feel the same.

"Trust me, that kiss was nothing like us. I don't think the two of you have ever been just friends." Cole told her, trying to put some sense into the girl.

Anne placed a hand to her cheek, feeling the spot where Gilbert had kissed her. She wondered what it must have felt like to him, and whether or not he regretted it entirely. Nevertheless, she wiped all remaining thoughts of the kiss to the back of her mind as if it had been nothing at all – much like Gilbert himself had done, neither one wanting to ruin what they had.

Gilbert returned to Aunt Jo's house that afternoon, after a work-filled day helping the Doctor. He was thankful that he was being allowed the opportunity to gain some experience, knowing that medicine was the direction his heart was leading him.

Neither he nor Anne spoke anything to one another about the unexpected kiss that had occurred that morning. He felt as though he should explain himself to her but he didn't want to be the one to bring it up – not if Anne hadn't thought anything of it, unlike he had, throughout the entirety of the day.

"Thank you, Josephine, for allowing me to stay with you." Gilbert graciously thanked her for her hospitality.

"It was my pleasure. You are welcome back anytime." She smiled truthfully, her voice then turning into a small whisper so only he could hear. "And do not think I haven't seen the way you look at her or that I did not hear about what happened earlier."

Gilbert gulped, rubbing the back of his neck shyly so as to try and avoid the conversation. Aunt Jo, however, was not one for avoiding topics such as romance and she continued speaking in her usual straightforward approach.

"Try not to let life pass you by without the person you love." She spoke in a sincere tone. "I cannot imagine how my life would have been without my Gertrude in it."

Those were the final words that she spoke to him that day before they departed her humble home, making their way to the train station in order to return to the beloved town of Avonlea.

Anne hugged Cole tightly in her grasp, not wishing to leave him once again, but she reluctantly let go when the train eventually pulled into the station. Gilbert said his goodbyes, picking his luggage up off the ground, along with Anne's.

Cole watched on as they walked side-by-side down the platform with barely an inch between them, taking the occasional glance at one another. Their inability to tell each other how they felt was frustrating to watchful eyes. But the way they looked at each other so devotedly made others only able to wish they had something as simply-complicated as them.


	18. each time we touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚  
> 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙."
> 
> — 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗶

Rain fell down on the town of Avonlea, washing away the memories that had been made and the last remnants of snow that still lingered from the frosty Winter, clearing space for Spring.

The trees surrounding Green Gables dripped shiny droplets of water down their branches, sliding gracefully off the flower buds that were beginning to bloom, and landing in a chasm like puddle beneath.

Anne adored rain. The way it could wash things clean and bring new life had always amazed her. She enjoyed looking up into the clouds and watching as each drop fell from the heavens that had opened above. She thought of it as liquid sun, feeling the rays hitting her skin and being content in the simplicity of it all.

The path to the schoolhouse was far muddier than usual and it squelched beneath Anne's feet as she wandered through the dreary morning. Sloshy half-melted snow mixed with dirt and rain did not appear to be a good combination, not even in the slightest.

The air around her was filled with noise as she continued to walk on through the mud. A stream gushed beside her, following the path that she trod on, and the rain splattered with every drop. She was thankful for the noise, for it drowned out her own thoughts that were screaming to be heard.

It had been a few days since her endeavours in Charlottetown, yet she still hadn't quite comprehended the situation that had occurred between herself and Gilbert Blythe. It seemed as though she was trying to remember a dream, the sequence in which the moment had taken place had become jumbled in her head and it didn't appear to be real.

Anne and Gilbert hadn't been able to form a proper conversation ever since. Both had resulted in opening their mouths on several occasions but, without knowing what they had intended to say, they walked away without a single word. 

It was as if there was an invisible wall between them. They could see each other plain as day, but not a word could be heard, and it bothered them both immensely that they were paralysed in their ability to speak.

Anne fell backwards suddenly as she felt the ground disappear beneath her feet. She had slipped on the mud that she walked on and found herself sliding down the river bank, into the icy stream that had not yet been warmed by the sun's rays that still hid behind the clouds.

"Are you alright?" A voice questioned from above her. "What are you doing down there?"

Anne looked up from where she sat in the flowing stream to see Gilbert standing on the edge of the river bank. Water was dripping from his hair and running down his face, making it appear as though he was the one that had been swimming with the fish instead of her.

"Oh, I just thought it was a splendid day to go for a swim." Anne sarcastically retorted, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Stay there," He instructed. "I'll help you up."

Carefully, he made his way down the bank. It was much slipperier than he had anticipated so he took caution with every step, trying to get to the girl in the water.

"Gilbert, don't stand there!" Anne warned, cringing as he took the step and fell flat on his back in the river, causing an enormous splash.

"Well, Mr Blythe," She began. "That was very heroic of you, but I really must be getting to school."

"Well, you know me, always willing to help the less fortunate." Gilbert grinned at her teasingly, earning a splash of water in his face in return.

Clambering to his feet, he managed to successfully find his footing and he outstretched his arms towards Anne. She grasped his hands gladly and felt herself get lifted from the river with ease. Gilbert had missed the feeling of her hands in his, it was a sensation that he wished not to lose and he hoped that she relished the touch as much as he did.

Their hands held each other tightly as they struggled to crawl up the thick slope of mud. There was little point in avoiding the issue, their clothes were already clad in the brown muck and their faces covered in smears.

Anne felt bedraggled and she feared what she must look like, dripping with water and hunks of mud. Her hair stuck to her face and neck, along with fallen leaves that had woven their way into the mess. Her dress hung in a dishevelled state and she thanked the heavenly father that it was already brown in colour – not wishing to ruin one of the few garments she owned.

"To think my appearance couldn't have gotten any worse than it already was." She ridiculed herself, scrunching her nose in disgust. "I bet that Billy Andrews won't notice the difference."

As she continued to speak with such disdain about her looks, Gilbert couldn't help but find her alluring. His heart felt like summer as he admired her – even with the mud smeared over her soft skin and her clothes soaking up the rain that was pouring down.

"I think you look beautiful." Gilbert blurted out, no longer wanting to listen to her putting herself down. 

Although Anne did not believe his compliment, she accepted it gladly, feeling her cheeks heat up as she blushed uncontrollably. He was the first person to ever call her beautiful – even her dearest friend Diana had yet to compliment the girl on her looks.

They continued to make their way to school, which stood not too far from where their journeys had taken a messy and chaotic turn. The rain still pelted down around them, and Anne hoped that it would be enough to wash away the mess that was her appearance.

The door creaked as Gilbert opened it and the two teenagers walked in awkwardly, side-by-side, still drenched in the inelegant wet mud. Their fellow students gawked at them in shock and repugnance, watching them leave an obvious trail of filth in their wake.

Billy laughed at the sight of Anne, snorting in her direction like a pig, his friends following his lead in encouragement. Gilbert's fists clenched as he looked over at them, and anyone watching could see the rage that had built up inside him, waiting to burst out.

"Ignore him, Anne," Jane Andrews spoke up from her desk, "my brother is just being ridiculous."

Listening to Jane's wise words, she ignored the taunting boys and made her way to her desk where Diana stood, concerned. Somehow, in the midst of such a treacherous day, she still looked immaculate and it bewildered Anne how perfect her best friend really was.

"What happened Anne?" Diana asked sincerely, pulling a leaf from her tangled red hair.

"I fell in the river. Gilbert helped me of course, which is why we're both a mess." Anne explained, gesturing to her entire body.

"Did he say anything to you about what happened at Aunt Jo's?" Diana questioned in a hushed tone, looking around to make sure no prying ears were listening in.

"No. But I think I'm just going to forget about it." She sighed effortlessly, looking over at Gilbert who was now talking to Charlie. "I don't see the point in fretting over something that was obviously nothing."

Diana could see as sadness appeared in Anne's eyes after her statement. It was obvious to her that her bosom friend wanted it to mean something and that she didn't want whatever that something was to disappear so easily.

She wanted Anne to realise how she felt. If not for Gilbert then for herself. It wasn't wise to keep such feelings bottled up and locked away behind bars. The words needed to be spoken – needed to be heard – and Diana was going to make her see that.

"Oh, goodness me." Miss Stacey gasped at the sight of both Gilbert and Anne as she entered from the back room. "Dry off in front of the furnace, the pair of you. I'm sure it will fall off in no time."

Anne and Gilbert collected their books and slates, plonking themselves down by the hot furnace. Their shoulders grazed each other occasionally as they continued to work through the morning. Gilbert's mind went fuzzy with every accidental touch, his body tingled and his heart danced.

Anne felt it too. She didn't quite understand it but she savoured the pleasant feeling, nonetheless. It was one thing that she never could imagine in its entirety – until now – having never experienced the feeling for herself.


	19. hiding from the truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝,  
> 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪."
> 
> — 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲

The gable ends of the house dripped with water from the rain that had since ceased, that cloudy afternoon. Muddy footprints had been traipsed back and forth on the porch of Green Gables, indicating that Matthew and Jerry had been in and out from their farm work throughout the miserable day.

Anne's muddy boots squelched as she made her way towards the door, her socks clinging to her soggy feet that had not yet dried from that unfortunate morning. She couldn't wait to be rid of them and curl up in her nightgown in front of the cozy fire that still burned alight.

A wall of warmth hit her as she entered the kitchen and her body tingled in satisfaction. Several aromas filled her nose as she breathed in the hot air and her blue eyes fixated on a freshly made pie that sat atop the table.

"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert!" Marilla scolded in a shrill voice, standing abruptly from her seat at the sight of the unseemly looking girl before her. "You look as though you've been frolicking with the pigs!"

Mud, though now dry, still clung to her clothes and hair. It was smeared in great amounts over her cheeks and Marilla was fairly certain that a wad of the foul stuff could be seen protruding from her freckled nose.

"Please, don't remind me!" Anne sighed heavily, dropping several pieces of dirt behind her as she walked through the recently scrubbed-down room.

"Well, you’ll have to clean up, quick. We have guests coming for supper." Marilla informed, grabbing the mop from the corner of the room, being sure to keep herself at a safe distance from Anne's filthy body.

"What!" Anne wailed, hurriedly brushing more dried mud from her dress and poor Marilla glared at her in return. "Whom have you invited?"

"Sebastian, Mary, and Gilbert." She stated plainly, swishing the mop across the dirt-covered floorboards.

"What! You could have warned me!" Anne continued to panic, her heartbeat thudding at an unusual pace. "Gilbert doesn't look nearly as dreadful as me. If anything, it just shows how perfect he is, even in a right awful state!"

The truth was evident in the statement she had made, regarding Gilbert Blythe's appearance. Clearly, he was the most dashingly handsome boy in all of Avonlea and it seemed almost impossible for Anne to not notice the angelic masterpiece that was so often in front of her very eyes.

His brown curly locks were ever so springy and delectable – and his hazel green eyes dazzled even the most unlikely of people. Anne had never imagined that she would fall prisoner to such a simple thing as a boy's outward appearance, yet somehow she had, and it was not surprising that it was Gilbert Blythe who had stolen her gaze.

"Not that Gilbert is perfect! Not at all!" She suddenly declared, realising what small secrets she had spilled from her unfiltered mouth.

Marilla's stern face held a soft smile as she looked at the partially disengaged girl in front of her. She was well aware of the fact that both Anne and Gilbert shared a special kind of bond between them. However, she felt no need to interfere, wanting Anne to work out her feelings of her own accord.

"Go get yourself cleaned up." Marilla pushed, putting the mop away and guiding Anne towards the stairs.

Anne bounded her way up to her bedroom, removing several items of clothing along the way, leaving them scattered throughout the stairwell and the upstairs hallway. The speed at which she undressed had proved to be a mystery and she was unsure of how she had not fallen flat on her face along the way.

Retrieving her clean undergarments from her closet, she made her way to the bathroom that was located downstairs. The tub had been partially filled with hot water, thanks to Marilla, and a washcloth laid out for use.

She rubbed her delicate skin raw as she hastily scrubbed every inch of herself that had been touched by the repugnant mud. Her hair seemed to be another story entirely as it had become matted with leaves and was near to impossible to get back to its usual state of cleanliness.

A knock echoed through the house as Anne bolted up the stairs once again. Thankfully, she had succeeded as best she could in her quest to wash and tame her hair, just in the nick of time.  
Pulling on her grey dress, along with stockings and her brown boots – that Marilla had been gracious enough to clean on her behalf – she strolled mindlessly into the living room. Her hair, still full of water, dripped slowly down her back as she braided it into two perfect plaits.

Matthew and Marilla were sat comfortably on the sofas, along with their three guests. Marilla chattered cheerfully to Mary and Sebastian – Matthew listening intently, not wishing to interrupt.  
"Anne, it's lovely to see you." Bash beamed as she ventured into the room.

Gilbert stood involuntarily from where he was sat, his heart beating uncontrollably as he stared at the girl in front of him. She had cleaned up nicely from their adventurous morning and he hoped he reflected that cleanliness, not wanting to appear unbecoming in the Cuthbert's humble home.

He could feel his knees buckle as he watched her in awe, steadying them quickly so as to not topple over. She looked exquisite, a word only suitable for her, with her eyes sparkling in the light of the fire and her hair as bright as the flames.

"It's splendid to see you both again." Anne smiled sweetly to Bash and Mary. "You too, Gil."

"Same to you," Gilbert said, his face lighting up as she smiled at him with that perfect mouth of hers. He couldn't comprehend how it was possible for her to think so lowly of herself when all he could do was see the beauty that had been embodied in her sublime human form.

"Blythe told me all about your muddy adventures from this morning." Bash smirked, clasping his hands together in wait of a reaction from the pair. "How nice it must be to have a knight in shining armour at your disposal."

Both Anne and Gilbert's faces turned bright red at his statement and they averted their eyes from one another in an instant, feeling everyone's gazes locked on them. Anne felt her words get caught in the back of her throat as she attempted to think of something to say.

"I wouldn't say I was much help," Gilbert informed them all, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, speaking up for the two of them after noticing Anne's awkward demeanour. "If anything, I only made matters worse."

"Well, I suppose I can agree with you on that." She replied, finally finding her words, helping to make light of the situation.

After chattering amongst themselves a little while longer, the six of them made their way to the dining table where the scrumptious smelling meal that had been prepared earlier awaited their hungry stomachs.

Anne was the first to sit down, eager to devour the enticing food that had been placed in front of her. Gilbert slid into the seat beside her, beaming a smile of contentment in her direction.

"You have a–" He began, grinning at Anne goofily as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Here, allow me."

Turning in his seat he reached a hand towards the side of her face, untangling a strand of her hair. His fingers grazed her cheek ever so slightly, causing them to lock eyes briefly and gulp at the touch. All eyes were fixated on them from around the table, neither one noticed of course, for both had found themselves lost in each other for a small moment in time.

Anne watched as Gilbert pulled his hand away, placing a small leaf on the table between them. She must have missed it in her attempt to tame her matted red locks and she felt utterly embarrassed that he had been the one to spot it.

In a metaphorical world, the fallen leaf appeared to represent the feelings that Anne tried so hard to keep concealed. It was tangled up in a mess, attempting to stay hidden from herself and from the world, but if Gilbert looked close enough he would be able to see it.

He saw the leaf like he saw everything else about her – as if it had been left there on purpose for him to find. He examined her face as she examined his, both searching for answers that hid so hopelessly behind each of their eyes.

Anne fidgeted in her seat as she looked around to see the other four occupants of the table now talking amongst themselves. It seemed as though she and Gilbert were in their own little world and the words being spoken into the air around them drifted off quietly into the abyss of space.

In Anne's mind the evening seemed to go by slowly, but somehow it was not slow enough. The Cuthbert's guests readied themselves to leave, thanking them graciously for the spectacular meal that had been given and the warm-hearted conversations from that night.

"I never–" Matthew began nervously, trying to find his words as they all stood outside of the cozy house. "I never thanked you properly for taking care of Anne in the forest."

"She took care of me too." Gilbert smiled lightly, looking over at Anne who was smiling warmly back at him from where she stood in the doorway.

Hopping into the wagon that he had arrived in, next to Sebastian and Mary, Gilbert waved goodbye solemnly. He felt his heart constrict as he watched Anne grow smaller in his sight and slowly disappear into the confinements of her home.

As much as she did not wish to admit it, Anne was saddened to see Gilbert leave that evening. She had wanted him to stay and yet she wasn't completely sure why she felt so lonely without him by her side. It seemed to be an utterly silly thing to feel – wanting the boy, who was seemingly absent, to return to her.

Gilbert had felt the need to stay too, knowing full well how he felt about her, but he knew he had to leave her once again. It was just something that needed to take place, though how undesirable and detestable it happened to be.

The truth had been right in front of her for so long – it was longing to be felt by every nerve in her body, waiting patiently for her to reach out her arm and pull it in close. It was easier said than done however, for she had been hiding from the sincerity of it all for far too long and she wasn't certain of how she felt.

As the night drew to a close and it slowly turned to morning, Anne found herself staring out the window into the dark of the night, missing a boy she figured she ought not to miss.


	20. to the sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚   
> 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖?"
> 
> — 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝘁. 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆

The sun had risen high in the sky on Saturday morning, burning away the clouds and warming the earth. Birds chirped cheerfully outside of the Blythe farm, basking in the rays that shone down upon them, where Gilbert leisurely prepared himself a hearty breakfast for the day ahead.

Floorboards creaked from down the hall, and the kitchen soon filled with deep yawns, indicating to Gilbert that he was not the only one awake in the early hours of the day.

"Finally starting to feel like spring now, isn't it." Sebastian yawned, making his presence known as he sat on the edge of the table.

"Indeed." Gilbert agreed in a chipper tone, turning on his heels to place a piece of toast on his plate to find Bash gobbling down the lot.

He rolled his eyes at his friends' habits. It was nothing out of the ordinary – annoying Gilbert and being blatantly obvious about things was the almighty norm when it came to Sebastian.

"I was thinking of heading to the beach today, seeing as the weather is so splendid," Gilbert stated. "Would you and Mary care to join me?"

"Oh, no. I'm far too busy with all this farm work for such an activity." Bash grinned far too eagerly, finishing his mouthful, and Gilbert gave him a sceptical look.

"Of course you are." He breathed out, suspicion and perplexity laced through his voice.

"I'm fairly certain that a particular redhead, of whom I admire, adores the beach." Bash continued to grin, his eyes dancing with cheek. "Why not ask her? As I'm sure you're eager to do."

The suspicion drained from Gilbert's face in an instant and he swallowed the dry lump that had gotten caught in his throat. 

"Why would I be eager to ask Anne?" He questioned, trying to keep his emotions in check as he felt his breathing hitch and his heartbeat quicken.

"Oh, for pity's sake – be a man, Blythe!" Bash almost shouted in frustration, his arms flailing around in the air in a crazed manner. He seemed far too invested in the subject of the two teenagers for Gilbert's liking. "You are in love with the girl, it's about time you admit it."

"If you must know, I admitted it to myself when she and I were lost, but–" he trailed off, gulping. "She doesn't think of me that way."

The room echoed with laughter as Sebastian doubled over. Was he really that oblivious that he couldn't see what Anne was so obviously feeling, or was he simply not convinced that she could ever feel the same way in return? It could be seen so conspicuously by everyone around them but somehow they both still managed to pretend that the other felt nothing in return.

Foolishness seemed to be the only word that was able to describe such denial and contradiction between a pair of whom were as deeply connected as them.

"Oh, I'm fairly certain that she likes you a great deal more than either one of you would care to admit." Bash encouraged, taking a sip of the freshly brewed tea that burned his throat on the way down – the taste was exquisite, nonetheless.

"How do you know?" Asked the trembling teenage boy, as he leant back against the sink, taking it all in.

Sebastian looked at him knowingly, moving closer for emphasis as he stared directly into Gilbert's quivering hazel orbs.

"It's all in the eyes, Blythe. It's all in the eyes."

By the time the morning sun had risen to its place in the sky in the early afternoon, Gilbert had successfully plucked up the courage to ask Anne to accompany him to the beach that very same day. As Sebastian had so plainly stated; he was certainly eager to do so.

His eagerness, however, had been taken over by the nerves that consumed him and he was anxious, more or less. Anxious in anticipation and anxious in fear of what she might say in response. It was a small and simple thing in comparison to many other questions he could possibly ask her, yet he still felt his heart hurt at the thought of her saying no.

It was not as though he was proposing a marriage or unity between them – though he would be kidding himself if he said the thought had not crossed his mind. Instead, he was inviting her to the beach – a place where they could be just the two of them in a kind of mutual territory, where both could entirely be themselves.

Taking a final step towards the door of Green Gables where he had found himself once again, he knocked gently, waiting patiently for a response.

The door swung open suddenly, revealing Anne who was sporting an elegant lace shawl draped over her head like a veil, along with dainty blossom flowers woven throughout her hair. 

"Gilbert," she said in disbelief as she smiled effortlessly. 

She watched as Gilbert examined her with his soft gaze and her eyes widened in sudden realisation of how she must have appeared. She was embarrassed that he had witnessed her in such a vulnerable state of her imagination and so she tossed the shawl across the room in an instant as if to pretend it had never been there in the first place.

"How can I help you, Doctor Blythe." She questioned enthusiastically, attempting to ignore the embarrassment that was still written across her face and holding the door wide for him to enter.

"I'm on my way to the beach and I wondered if you would care to accompany me?" He asked her nervously. 

"I would love to!" She beamed in excitement. "I'm certain Marilla won't mind. She and Matthew have travelled into town today, they both know I'd much rather be outside than in."

"Excellent!" He smiled widely in return, praising himself for asking her without stumbling upon his words.

"I shall just fetch my things, I won't be a moment!" She called back to him as she bolted up the stairs and out of earshot.

It was not long before Anne reappeared at the bottom of the stairs and they left the house, closing up Green Gables as they did so. The pink flowers from the blossom tree still clung to her braids and a warm blanket was bundled up in her slim arms.

Gilbert carried a picnic basket he had put together not long before he had departed his own home, along with his own blanket – that had been folded neatly – underneath his arm.

"I'll be back later, Jerry!" Anne informed as they passed by the barn, making their way to the property gate.

"Yes, ma'am." Jerry jokingly tilted his hat in response, waving them off as they slowly disappeared from view.

The journey to the seaside was long but peaceful as they ventured on foot. The air surrounding the beach was warm as Anne and Gilbert stepped onto the soft sands, lessening the harshness of the cool sea breeze that blew over the waves and crashed upon the shores.

Placing their belongings onto the sandy ground, the pair spread out one of their blankets to sit upon and enjoy the snacks that Gilbert had brought. 

Just as Gilbert took a seat he saw a flash of red speed off down the beach. It was Anne. She had relinquished her shoes and socks, running barefoot towards the cold waters that engulfed the island they called home.

She splashed playfully in the shallows of the water and her endearing energy dazzled the boy who could watch her for hours on end. He felt weak to his knees as his gaze stayed locked on her and he slowly made his own way down to the shoreline, so as to join her.

She had ceased her playful acts once he had reached her, both standing calmly beside one another, feeling the waves crash upon their ankles as they looked out at the horizon that held so many possibilities.

As they stood on the water's edge Anne closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, her senses running wild within her. Every smell was intoxicating – the saltiness of the sea spray, the freshness of the grass-covered hillside, the fragrance of the flower petals that had travelled with her from home.

She felt bliss in the feeling of the damp sand between her toes and the soft breeze that grazed her face, reminding her of the peaceful serenity that no other place could offer.  
"Do you miss it?" Anne asked, interrupting the silence and taking Gilbert by surprise.

"Miss what?" he questioned back, furrowing his eyebrows as he glanced at her briefly before turning his gaze back to the ocean in front of them.

"Being out there on the ocean. Exploring the far off lands that you stumbled upon–" she trailed off, reminding him of the time he had tried to find his place in the world.

"I suppose I do miss it," Gilbert stated sincerely and Anne couldn't help but feel saddened at his revelation. "But not as much as I missed being home. This is where I belong."

He turned to look at Anne who now held a soft smile upon her face. He watched her closely as she parted ways with the flowers in her hair, placing them solemnly into the waves of the ocean. She anticipated that they would float out into its depths and happen upon a kindred spirit, bringing hope and love to whomever that soul may be.

Removing the delicate ribbons from the ends of her braids, she allowed her red locks to flow freely down her back like a crimson waterfall. She looked elegant and beautiful in the eyes of Gilbert – better than that of a rose in full bloom.

His hand uncontrollably tucked a strand behind her ear, resting upon her cheek and lingering for a brief moment. The feeling was soft and delicate under his touch as he caressed her face gently.

She looked at him blissfully as her heart pounded in her chest. The way he looked at her so devotedly scared her, yet she couldn't help but detest it entirely when he eventually pulled his hand away. She had enjoyed his delicate touch and it was something she did not wish to lose.

Every inch of her was perfect as Gilbert memorised the smallest of details that made her who she was. He noticed how her blue eyes glistened like the waters of the ocean and her freckles were like a galaxy, waiting ever so patiently to be explored.


	21. falling into you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.  
> 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧."
> 
> — 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗸 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻

The soft freckled skin of Anne's cheeks burned as bright as the red locks that hung loosely down her back. The way Gilbert continued to look at her – where they now sat on the sandy beach, enjoying the picnic they had brought – made her blush uncontrollably.

Her head tilted back towards the blue sky above, watching as puffs of white clouds drifted past in the breeze. She imagined the various pictures they formed with one another – it was one of the simplest and purest forms of imagination there was, and it satisfied her to no end. She longed to be up there with them, watching over the seas and gazing upon the glorious land below.

"Don't you just love spotting shapes in the clouds? It's as if they're telling a story." She breathed out peacefully.

"Do you want to know what I see?" Gilbert said, his eyes still glued to Anne.

The hint of a grin was playing on his soft lips and there was a mischievous twinkle in his hazel eyes. He leant towards her slowly, his mouth parting beside her ear that had remained uncovered from when he had nonchalantly tucked away a strand of her hair.

Anne's breathing hitched in anticipation. She was unsure of what she had been expecting from him at that moment but she was fairly certain that what he spoke was not it, even in the slightest.  
"Carrot's." Gilbert had whispered teasingly in her ear and she watched as he dashed off down the beach.

A wide smile could be seen written across his face as he turned his head, looking back at Anne, his feet still bounding further and further across the sand. Her own face lit up suddenly as she clambered to her feet and ran at full speed towards the curly-haired boy – oh, how she would get him back for that!

"Slateface!" Anne shouted at him.

Gilbert stopped in his tracks at her cheeky insult, pouting his lips at her in pretend sadness, and allowing her to catch up. Just as she was about to swoop in and tackle him, he dodged her and fell into a run once again.

They continued the charade – chasing each other through the sand and the water, running whilst their shadows were dancing – neither one growing tired of the whimsical and flirtatious antics that were being displayed.

When it finally came to be Gilbert's turn to chase, his strong legs powered him towards Anne and she was only an arm's length out of his reach. Turning on her heels, she ran backwards as fast as her slim legs could manage and she kicked a splash of water up towards his blissfully mischievous face as she did so.

"You've got to let me catch you at some point!" He called out in a chuckle, blinking away the vast amounts of ocean water that was now dripping from his hair.

"What would be the fun in that?" She continued to tease, splashing him once more to see his entire face screw up in shock, making a delicate laugh erupt from her lips.

Waiting for the perfect moment – when Anne had closed her eyes in laughter – Gilbert lunged forward, snaking an arm around her waist in one smooth motion.

Anne lost her balance as her body was unexpectedly pulled towards his in an instant. Attempting – but failing – to stabilise them both, Gilbert's body toppled over along with Anne's. Water splashed up around them as they landed amongst the shallows and the waves washed over them like a blanket where they lay.

Gilbert had fallen flat on his back with Anne held firmly to his body. His arm was still wrapped around the curves of her waist, with his left hand on the small of her back and his right rested gently above her hip.

His head had sunk slightly into the pillow of wet sand as he looked up at the girl who held his heart. Locks of fiery red tangled in a mess between them, sticking to each of their faces and dripping speckles of water onto Gilbert's soft skin.

The air was silent around them, the wind and the waves drowned out by the sound of their heavy panting as they attempted to catch their breaths from running circles across the sand.

They could feel their hearts beating in time with one another in their chests, it was like a sort of rhythm, a piece of music that only they could hear.

Gilbert shifted his gaze from Anne's deep blue eyes down to her luscious pink lips. They appeared so soft and desirable as he wondered what they would feel like against his own.

Anne had noticed where his eyes were looking and she breathed in sharply as his head lifted ever so slightly from the sand. 

Was he really about to kiss her? He couldn't be! No one in their right mind would want to kiss a girl as homely as her. Though that was the thing – Gilbert didn't see her as homely nor did he see her as ugly. She was beautiful, like an artwork that made him feel every kind of wonderful whenever his eyes were lucky enough to fall upon her.

Anne flicked her gaze carefully down to his mouth that longed for her touch. She watched as his tongue parted his delicate lips ever so slightly and she too wondered what they would feel like against her own.

Their heads moved slowly towards each other, both anticipating the outcome of the moment they were about to share. They were only a few inches from one another and Anne could feel Gilbert's hot jagged breath brushing against the wet skin of her face.

Her head jerked back suddenly in realisation, and Gilbert's fell into the sand with a thud as if he had just been dropped from the sky above.

She scrambled to her feet, letting his hands fall from where they had held her so tightly, straightening her dress that had been twisted in the waves. Gilbert's body remained paralysed in the sand as the water continued to wash over him. He felt utterly bewildered and he gulped as he looked up at the awkward stance of Anne.

"It's getting late. We should start heading back." She said, her words shaking as she tried to avoid eye contact with the boy she had almost kissed.

"Oh, uh– of course," Gilbert replied, his heart pounding in his chest and his hands trembling by his sides as he stood slowly from the ground.

Gathering their things, their wet bodies wrapped in warm blankets, they departed the beach and set foot on the path that led to home. Not a word was spoken as they walked on, neither one knowing what to say. Gilbert snuck the occasional glance at Anne, wondering if he should explain himself or leave her to her own thoughts.

She was glad that he had left her with the silence, feeling the need to better comprehend what had almost happened between them. Her mind was bombarded with thoughts and feelings running a mile a minute all at once, scaring her into insanity.

She had wanted for him to kiss her and she had wanted to kiss him. Everything had felt so right up until she had pulled away and it scared her that that was how she felt.

It was not the first time she had run away from a declaration such as this and she still couldn't completely understand why she had done it. Her thoughts absently traced back to when they had played spin-the-bottle. Out of all the boys in the class, Gilbert was the only one whom she felt a connection with and the only one she would have wanted to kiss in such a meaningless game.

As it seemed, he was the only boy who wanted to kiss her too. The way he had stood up for her in front of so many people had made her feel something deep down, just like the way she felt whenever she caught him watching her with that soft gaze of his and a smile playing on his lips. Those delectable lips.

However, like so many times before, she had swatted the feeling away as if it were nothing. But, she knew now that it wasn't nothing – it was something. Something that made her heart race and her knees tremble.

He made her feel things that she had never felt before. There was always a sense of urgency between them, a need to be with the other. It scared her how deeply she truly felt which was why – she concluded – she had hidden it for so long, even from herself.

She wasn't certain if it was love that she was feeling, though she couldn't think of a better word to describe it. She had never felt this way before, nor had she been able to imagine the depth of what it would feel like. 

Anne had fallen for him that afternoon like they had fallen into the sand that glistened with the crashing waves. If she had fallen any deeper for him at that moment, she was sure she would have drowned tragically in the water that had surrounded them.

Finally feeling the need, she turned her head to look at Gilbert who was looking right back into her eyes. She was scared to tell him, to admit the complicated truth out loud. But, she knew in her heart that she was finally ready – ready to free-fall into the unknown.


	22. everybody's changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮'𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜  
> 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚."
> 
> — 𝗞𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲

The rising sun bore into Anne's tired eyes where she sat at the kitchen table, gazing absently into the plate of food that waited patiently for her to take a bite. She had been unable to get a wink of sleep that night, her mind far too preoccupied on the events of yesterday to find the time to rest.

She was beyond sleep deprived, yet sleep was the one thing she did not wish to do. Every time she closed her eyes she would see Gilbert's angelic face and those brown curls she loved so much. She would see him lying on the damp sand, lips pursed and eyes trained devotedly on hers.

It was difficult as it was to keep the thought of Gilbert at bay, without allowing glimpses of his features to invade her mind. Everything was reminding her of him – even the boiled egg in front of her was beginning to resemble him the longer she looked at it.

"Anne." A voice called out softly, pulling her away from her thoughts for the first time that morning. 

"Anne!" Another voice said, much more persistent and shrill than the first, causing her head to jolt up suddenly.

She glanced between Matthew and Marilla, whom the voices had come from, both looking at the dazed girl with worrisome written across their faces.

"Are you feeling alright?" Matthew asked, placing a hand gently on top of Anne's for comfort. "You've hardly touched your breakfast."

Anne flicked her gaze back towards her food to notice it was untouched and so she began picking away at it slowly to avoid more worry from her beloved parents.

Finishing a bite, she lent back in her chair, perplexed. Matthew and Marilla had gone back to their meals, but still, they kept a close eye on her in speculation.

"How does one know when they are in love?" She asked, out of the blue, taking the elder siblings by surprise.

Matthew suddenly felt uneasy and he choked slightly on the food that he was swallowing, mid-exclamation. Marilla was at a loss for words but she felt she must say something, feeling Anne's eyes jabbing into her in wait for an answer.

"I wouldn't know, having not been in love myself," Marilla stated plainly, attempting to avoid the conversation altogether.

"Oh, but surely you must have. What about Mr Blythe? Rachel Lynde said–" Anne began to ramble on until she was cut short by Marilla's shrill voice.

"Enough about what Rachel Lynde said, she is a gossip and I beg you not to listen to the gibberish that comes out of her mouth. What happened between John and I was a very long time ago and I'd prefer not to speak of this over breakfast." She explained, looking between her child and her brother, who was fidgeting in his chair at the awkwardness of the conversation.

"Sorry, Marilla." Anne obliged, going back to her meal in order to keep her lips sealed.

It was torture for her. She had never been one for keeping her mouth shut and the words were niggling at her, trying to break free. 

"But what is it about love that makes it so desirable?" She suddenly blurted out again, unable to hold her tongue. "Is it supposed to be thrilling? Is it supposed to make you feel as though you'd do anything for that one person that holds your heart's desires? Truthfully the whole idea of love scares me half to death!"

Giving up on the avoidance of conversation, Marilla rolled her eyes in exasperation. Matthew, however, did not wish to be a part of it in slightest. He stood carefully from his seat but was restricted from taking his leave when he was pulled back down by his sister's arm.

"Is there something you'd wish to tell us, Anne?" Marilla asked in a much calmer tone than before. She had a knowing look on her face and Anne suddenly felt a pressure to spill her deepest secrets to the world.

"No!" Anne shouted out, all too quickly and all too forcefully, gaining a suspicious glance from Marilla.

She couldn't tell them – not just yet. She knew that she needed to speak to someone, to better understand her feelings, and who was better to talk to than a kindred spirit. Her best friend.

"I think I'll be going to see Diana now," she stated, standing from the table nervously and putting her dishes into the sink. "I'll wash the dishes later. Bye Matthew! Bye Marilla!"

"What was that about?" Matthew asked his sister as soon as the door had slammed shut.

"God only knows what goes through that girl's head," Marilla said, ignoring Anne's peculiar habits and moving on with the day.

The wind whistled through the growing canopy of leaves in the forest where the bosom friends had found themselves. They had rebuilt their clubhouse the summer before and it had proven to be a warm and secluded escape from society. It wasn't the same as it was before, but they knew that they would soon make new memories to put alongside the ones they had already made.

"If I tell you something, you must promise that you won't tell anyone," Anne said with a quiver in her voice and Diana could tell that she was nervous.

"Of course, Anne. Whatever is the matter?" Diana asked softly, placing a hand on Anne's shoulder in reassurance and encouragement.

"I think– I think I like Gilbert." She choked out, relaxing ever so slightly having gotten that off her chest. "And I think I like him, as more than a friend."

Diana gave a small chuckle and smiled widely at her best friend; "I know," she said.

"Wait... you know? How could you possibly have known! I didn't even know!" Anne almost shrieked in confusion. 

"I'm your best friend, Anne. I've seen the way you look at him," Diana smiled sweetly. "I'm happy for you."

Anne's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she took a moment to allow Diana's revelation to sink in. How could her best friend have known before she, herself, knew the truth about how she was feeling? She supposed it was because – when she had been busy hiding from her emotions – Diana had paid attention to the things that weren't so easily hidden.

The way Anne looked at Gilbert was hard to miss, and the way she spoke about him with such devotion. How she would get nervous at the mention of his name, and how her eyes lit up like a flame whenever he was near.

Anne wondered how many more people knew about her feelings towards the boy she so often reviled with. It scared her that she might not have been as good at hiding the truth as she thought she was, but there was no changing it now.

What scared her most of all was the thought of Gilbert knowing. Had he been aware of how she was feeling this entire time like Diana had? Surely not! However, there was no doubt in Anne's mind that he was oblivious about it now – how could he be after their adventurous day on the beach?

He would be a fool to not see what was right in front of him. But that was the thing. They had both been fools for so long, ignoring their emotions and pretending like there was nothing there. Anne knew there was a web of feelings between them and with every passing moment, she knew that she couldn't keep it in any longer.

"He just– he's so compassionate and sweet, he's smart and yet he's never rude about it. His eyes, oh, you should see his eyes!" She beamed, her cheeks ablaze as she rambled to her bosom friend. "He doesn't care about how I look – I don't even think it's crossed his mind how truly dreadful I am. I just– oh, I think I'm in love with him, Diana! I have never felt a love like this before. I have searched and searched for a better word but none seem to quite fit as this one does."

She felt giddy being able to finally say it aloud. Her chest fluttered – oh, how she adored the feeling immensely – and she wouldn't have traded how she felt for the world.

"When are you going to tell him?" Diana piped up, leaning forward in anticipation, towards Anne.

"Tell him? I–" She choked out, feeling her chest constrict and the colour drain from her face.

She knew that it was something that had to be done – to tell him the truth and proclaim her love for him to the stars. But telling Gilbert how she truly felt about him only made it all the more real. She wouldn't be able to hide it from any part of herself any longer and she wouldn't be able to pretend like it wasn't happening.

"You have to tell him. He likes you too, you know," Diana said, moving to sit beside the poorly looking girl, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for comfort.

"But what if he doesn't? I don't think I could bear the humiliation," Anne admitted openly, resting her head gently on Diana's satin-covered shoulder.

"Anne, you must," Diana said firmly. "The spring soirée is coming up, perhaps you could tell him then. I'm sure he'd be eager to dance with you."

The soirée would be held in six days time, far too soon for Anne's liking. She couldn't wait to be clad in her robin-egg-blue dress, dancing with her friends and admiring the display of spring flowers. Now, she dreaded the night to come and the thought of everyone's eyes on her only made it that much worse.

"In front of so many people, I could never!" She exclaimed. "Besides, you are the only one I shall be dancing with, Prince Wisteria."

"It would be my honour, Princess Cordelia," Diana said playfully in a deep voice, placing a hand over her heart for effect.

They doubled over in laughter, holding onto each other for support as they did so. It was exactly what Anne needed to scare away all her worries for a small moment in time and she couldn't thank Diana enough for the simplicity of the joy that they shared.

The sound of a stick snapping outside the clubhouse pulled the giggling girls from their happiness. They crawled out, Diana first and then Anne.

As they stood from the ground, brushing dirt from their dresses, they saw a small girl in front of them. Her pale blue eyes glistened with the tears that fell down her cheeks – and her body was slumped in sadness, causing her to look far too frail in her puffy-pink dress.

"Ruby, I–" Anne said, her voice breaking as she noticed the pain on her friend's face, knowing full well that she had heard Diana and Anne's private conversation.

She never wanted to hurt Ruby. She felt sick to her stomach seeing her friend in such despair and she hated the fact that it was her own feelings that could ruin their beautiful friendship.

Taking a small step forward, she watched as Ruby took a step back – keeping the distance between them. Her heart sank. Of course, Ruby wouldn't want to speak to her. How could she when her worst nightmare had just come true?

Ruby knew that it was a long-shot for Gilbert Blythe to fall for her, but she still had hope, up until this moment. Anne and Gilbert were so perfect for each other – she couldn't ignore that – but it felt like a knife to the chest, nonetheless.

Anne continued to creep forward slowly, her vision impaired from the tears that were forming in her own eyes. The delicate flower before her – which her blonde friend had once been compared to – had now grown weak with sorrow, letting its petals crash mournfully to the ground.

Step after step, Ruby continued to back away until she turned on her heels and fell into a sprint, vanishing behind the trees in which she came.

"I'll go talk to her," Diana whispered, rubbing circles soothingly on her deflated friends back before she too disappeared from view.

Alone, Anne collapsed to the ground in a heap, tears streaming down her freckled cheeks. Everything had changed since yesterday, and she didn't know how to fix it. It was as if her entire world had just come crashing down around her and she was the only thing left standing.

Her never-ending thoughts consumed her as they ran circles around her aching head.

"I'm sorry," her broken voice echoed, sorrowful and earnest, drifting quietly into the void.


	23. oceans apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨  
> 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣."
> 
> — 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘁

The warm sun settled on Avonlea in the early hours of the morning. Birds chirped cheerfully in the treetops and flowers of all colours bloomed across the town. But amidst all of the beauty, Anne couldn't bring herself to smile, still distraught from breaking her friend's heart.

Even the sun kissing her face so delicately, as she made her way to school, wasn't enough to pull her out of the depths of despair.

The bustling and chattering in the small classroom were muted as Anne's thoughts clouded her mind. The warm "hello's" from her fellow classmates could barely be heard, drowned out by the all-consuming voices that bounced around inside her head.

Whilst the entirety of the class stood happily and laughed between themselves, Anne could see clearly the dishevelled frame of her dear friend Ruby who was slumped over her desk in heartbreaking sorrow. Dear friend. Oh, how she hoped that could still be true after all that had happened.

Diana sat facing Ruby from her own seat, speaking in a soft whisper, her delicate hand resting in reassurance on the saddened girls trembling hands.

She hoped that Diana would be able to get through to her. That Ruby would understand what Anne was feeling and that it wasn't so easily whisked away now that it had poured out from the deepest place in her heart.

Cautiously, Anne made her way to her desk, setting her belongings down neatly. She slowly turned on her heels to face Ruby, her mouth parted slightly as if to say something but no words managed to escape. How could she ever make things right if she couldn't even speak?

Ruby lifted her head carefully, looking up at Anne. Her eyes were red and puffy, indicating that she had been crying. Anne's heart sunk at the sight and it only made her feel worse than she already did when seeing her friend in such a state.

Neither one knowing what to say to the other, Anne silently made the decision to allow Ruby to comprehend it by herself for a little while longer. She did not wish to fuel the fire by speaking too soon, though she still wanted the sad girl to understand what it was that Anne was feeling.

Taking her seat beside Diana, Anne buried her face in her hands. She felt utterly miserable and didn't know of a single thing she could do to fix it.

"She'll come around, she just needs time," Diana whispered from beside her, so only Anne could hear.

Time. That was surely something that Anne didn't need more of. She had spent a great deal of it throughout her life, dwelling on struggles from the past and fretting about the future. Just once, she didn't want to have to think about the unwanted predicament she had found herself in. Just once, she wanted the world to sort itself out so that she could continue her life in peace.

But that was easier said than done. The world was not on her side this time around – nothing seemed to be going as planned.

Suddenly, Anne's senses ran wild within her as she felt a presence to the right of her desk. Turning her head, she shifted her gaze upwards, looking into the eyes of the boy that so easily held her heart in his hands.

His features – usually mischievous – now held an anxious look as he gazed down at her where she sat. His palms were sweating by his sides and he mindlessly wiped them on his trousers as his nerves got the better of him.

"Anne, can we talk?" Gilbert asked, his soft voice rolling off his tongue. That voice was usually enough to make girls swoon. But not Anne. Not now.

"Anne?" He questioned again when he didn't receive an answer.

Anne gulped as she watched him crouch down on the floor. She wasn't sure what he was wanting to hear, but she was certain what he wanted to talk about. That day on the beach had only been two days prior, yet somehow it felt like a million years ago.

What was Anne to say? Was she supposed to confess her undying love for him right then and there? Was she supposed to shout it from the rooftop of the schoolhouse and gain applause from her classmates? Perhaps she was supposed to stay silent and not draw attention to herself. Maybe, just maybe, it would be better to go through life unnoticed – never spilling her secrets again.

It was one thing telling her best friend, but to tell the very person that those feelings had been made for was beyond terrifying. It wasn't easy to do – it was far from it – and so she vowed to keep quiet, not another word to be spoken that day.

She could feel Diana watching the whole ordeal intently from her seat and she could hear the snickering from around the classroom as the students watched on in anticipation. Not a soul could take their eyes off the pair and some were expecting another vicious display of slate-upon-face.

Gilbert's hazel eyes examined her face in frustration. The way that she ignored him had proved to be extremely infuriating, much like the day they had first met.

He flicked his gaze to her perfect red braid. There was a temptation to tug it and call her names but he knew that would only make things worse. He never wanted to upset her and he felt guilty that that was exactly what he had done.

Had the almost-kiss been the downfall of everything they had built in their friendship? Had he really been stupid enough to think that a kiss from him was what she wanted? He felt as though he had ruined everything – as if it was all his fault.

His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest as memories from the beach flooded his mind. He wanted to hold her in his arms again, to feel her breath on his face. He wanted nothing more than to be hers and her to be his.

"Take your seat please, Gilbert, and we'll begin our lessons for the day." Miss Stacey announced, interrupting Gilbert's thoughts.

Anne let out a jagged breath that she didn't know she had been holding. Gilbert looked at her sadly as he stood slowly from the ground and made his way back to his desk.

With every step he took, he felt further and further away. There were only three metres between them but somehow it felt like an entire ocean. It was deep, treacherous and hard to swim across without drowning – but Gilbert would swim across a million oceans for Anne and drown as many times as it took to have her back.

There had been enough oceans between them for a lifetime and Gilbert didn't want even the smallest of seas to flow between them again.


	24. take me back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪,  
> 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪.  
> 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙩."
> 
> — 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗻

The week had been cold and quiet, dragging on through the nights and days on Prince Edward Island. Anne hadn't spoken a word to Gilbert, nor had she spoken a word to anyone else. She was deep in the depths of despair and it was near impossible for her to find her way out.

Gilbert had spent his days in an attempt to gain the redhead's attention, but when she did not answer and his persistence proved to be of no use, he gave up sorrowfully and continued the week in a silence much like Anne's.

The entirety of the class was well aware that something had occurred between the two – however, unsure of what it had actually been. It was a strange sight to behold, seeing the two brightest students in complete silence, unable to answer questions that were as easy to them as the ABC's.

As Saturday rolled around, the town of Avonlea was bustling with excitement for the Spring Soirée that would be held later that evening. Bouquets of beautiful flowers and decorations were being brought in by the armload in preparation for the party. The community had been working hard for days on end to make sure it was as majestically satisfying as could be.

The strong smell of wildflowers overpowered Gilbert's senses as he ventured into the town hall, carrying as many bunches as he could manage. Placing them down amongst the rest of the decorations, he took a step back to admire the work that had already been done. It was spectacular. Sure, there was still plenty to be accomplished before the Soirée, but it was coming together piece by piece with such beauty.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gilbert spotted a pop of vibrant red. His sight had been drawn to it instantly and he knew, before his eyes had even focused, that it was Anne. She stood out so profoundly compared to everything else around her – it was as if she was a flame in the night and everyone else was in total darkness.

Her hair was done up in two perfect braids, as per usual, and her face held no emotion – just that of lack of sleep. Marilla Cuthbert and Rachel Lynde stood nearby, chattering away between themselves about the night ahead.

Without thinking, his legs began to carry him forward. By the time the thought of turning back had crossed his mind, he had already found himself a few feet behind the girl that his heart ached for.

"Anne." She heard Gilbert's voice speak softly from behind her, causing her to tense up where she stood. "Will you please talk to me?"

Both Marilla and Rachel's heads shot up in an instant at the sound of his pleading voice. They were unaware, like everyone else in the town, of what had happened and they were more than interested to find out. Rachel, being the gossip that she is, appeared to be enjoying the scenario that played out before her to no ends.

"Anne?" Gilbert questioned in a quivering tone as he reached his arm out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She flinched at the unexpected touch and whipped her body around to face him. He looked down at her with worry and pain in his eyes, and he bit down on his lower lip in nervousness.

Just as Gilbert was about to open his mouth once more, Anne darted across the room at full speed and disappeared out the door, as if she had only been an apparition. Multiple heads turned as he chased after her, dodging tables and chairs that were being set up across the room.

"Anne!" He shouted out again as he departed the building and continued to run through the street, maneuvering his way around the various passerby's that got in his path.

Seeing the very girl he was chasing standing in front of him, he willed his legs to stop. Her shoulders were slouched and her head hung low as she stared aimlessly at the dirt-covered ground.  
"I can't do this to Ruby." Anne's small voice muttered, but Gilbert heard her, nevertheless.

"Ruby? What does this have to do with her?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing, stepping into her line of sight.

"Everything!" She shouted out as she lifted her head to look at him, torment written across her features.

Multiple heads turned at her sudden outburst and she looked around regretfully at the crowd that had already formed behind her.

Gulping roughly, she pushed her way past Gilbert's tall frame, wishing to continue in the direction she had first been headed. She felt restraint as Gilbert's hand wrapped itself around hers, stopping her from leaving him behind.

"You can't keep running away!" Gilbert said in frustration to her stubbornness, gaining a few more queer looks from the surrounding community.

Anne couldn't hold her tongue much longer and it wasn't long before words began to flow freely from her mouth, no matter how dark and painful they might have been.

"I've ruined everything, Gilbert! It would have been best for everyone if I had never found home here in Avonlea." She cried out, eyes brimming with tears.

"You're so infuriating!" He shot back. "Have you ever stopped to think that people might actually care about you?! That, perhaps, I care about you?!"

Anne was taken back by his words. What was he trying to tell her? Was it true that he actually cared for her? But in what way? She was shocked beyond words, unable to tell him anything.

"Anne, I–" Gilbert began – his voice much quieter and more soothing than before – but he stopped himself before he could finish.

He watched as a single tear fell from Anne's ocean eyes, rolling down her perfectly freckled cheek. Their hands were still intertwined, both trembling in each other's touch. With much hesitation he relinquished his hold on her, allowing her hand to fall free. It felt utterly wrong but he knew he had to let her go at that moment.

She backed away from him slowly – her eyes never leaving his – before she fell into a sprint and disappeared behind the trees.

Gilbert stood alone – the crowd dispersing around him – feeling his heart shatter in his chest. He wished he could have told her how he felt, right then and there, but the words had failed him. Perhaps she would've stayed, or perhaps it would have scared her even more.

He had had her in his life for so long and now, watching her disappear before his very eyes, he felt as though he had nothing. No heart. No soul. No Anne. His whole world had crumbled around him and all he wanted was to have her back.


	25. there goes my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜  
>  𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣."
> 
> — 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁

The day passed by slowly – in the eyes of Anne and Gilbert at least – leading up to the much awaited Spring Ball. The town was bustling with excitement as they entered the fully decorated town hall.

Poor Anne lacked the excitement that everyone else held – the events of the day taking a toll on her. Though there was no denying, she had never seen such a sight – at least not in the town of Avonlea. Marilla and Rachel really had outdone themselves this time.

It was beyond beautiful. A canopy of the most exquisite flowers hung in great delight from the ceiling and across the banisters. A bouquet of dainty white daisies sat centred on each of the tables, with a lacy cloth beneath. Flickering candles illuminated the entirety of the room, dazzling the guests as they made their way into the hall.

Anne's tired blue eyes scanned the room anxiously. She knew who she was searching for, however, she was uncertain if she wanted to find him or not. When she eventually came to the conclusion that she couldn't spot him amongst the crowd, her heart sank in her chest, giving her the answer she feared she would get.

On the edge of the dance floor stood Diana, looking gorgeous as always, laughing lightly along with the other girls from their class. Ruby stood amongst them, her pretty pink dress standing out from the others.

"Anne!" Diana called out, grabbing the attention of her bosom friend, gesturing for her to join them.

Taking a deep breath and wiping away the sweat on her palms, she carefully made her way over to the group of girls. A smile spread across her features as she was engulfed in a warm hug from Diana – and slowly but surely, her worries slipped beneath the surface, never leaving completely but remaining hidden from the eyes that watched her throughout the night.

As the minutes ticked by and more guests filled the room, Gilbert – alongside Sebastian and Mary – arrived merely half an hour after Anne.

"Anne looks nice this evening," Mary commented, spotting the young girl across the room and gaining the attention of one particular curly-haired boy.

"Indeed, she does." Sebastian agreed, glancing at Gilbert to see any sort of reaction to their comments.

He had yet to spot her amongst the crowd, yet he couldn't help but disagree with the statement. To Gilbert, Anne had never looked nice – for the simplest of compliments didn't seem to go far enough. 

His face softened immensely when he finally saw her on the dance floor, gliding around the room with Diana, perfectly in time with the music. He got lost in her eyes and the way she moved. It was as if he had fallen into a dream and all he could see was her.

Her hair flowed down her back in soft ringlets – the top was tied up with her favourite blue ribbon that she had acquired from Marilla – and it gave her a new elegance that no one in Avonlea had seen on her before.

As the song came to an end, Gilbert watched on as Anne made her way back to her close-knit group of friends, oblivious to the way he watched her devotedly from across the room.

"Doesn't Gilbert look dashing tonight." Ruby beamed in awe, causing Anne's head to jerk around the room to find where he stood. "I would ask him to dance but I'm far too afraid of what I may say to him!"

"Perhaps I shall ask him to dance," said Diana, taking everyone by surprise, Anne and Ruby most of all. "Excuse me, ladies."

As Diana gracefully made her way towards Gilbert, she sent a smile full of cheek in Charlie Sloane's direction before continuing on her path. When Diana finally reached Gilbert, Anne kept her eyes locked on them, unable to avert her gaze.

A small flower that was pinned to one side of Gilbert's dress coat managed to capture her attention briefly – it was the same robin-egg-blue as her dress, and she wondered if he had chosen it specifically or by mere accident.

"Anne." A voice came from beside her, pulling her out of her trance. "Would you care to dance?"

It was Charlie.

Anne's eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at him in confusion. Surely he would rather dance with someone prettier than herself – someone like Diana. But Diana was dancing with Gilbert. Anyone else, other than herself, would have been a more obvious choice.

"I– I suppose. Yes. Yes, I'd love to dance." She rambled, a small smile planting itself on her lips as she followed him into the middle of the hall.

Gilbert gulped as he watched Charlie escort Anne onto the dance floor. He was supposed to be the one to dance with her, to hold her close as they swayed to the music. Charlie knew how Gilbert felt about her – hell, he'd been spilling his feelings to his best friend ever since Anne had arrived in Avonlea. Charlie had never once expressed any interest in the red-head. So why now? Why was Charlie dancing with the one girl that Gilbert so badly wanted to call his own?

"She really likes you, you know." Diana's gentle voice announced, causing him to shift his longing gaze away from Anne and Charlie.

"Whom?" Gilbert questioned her, although he already knew the answer.

"You know whom." She replied, rolling her eyes at his stubbornness.

"It appears that she wants nothing to do with me." He sighed, eyes trailing to the floor in sadness.

"She's just scared, Gilbert," Diana explained kindly, meeting his gaze again. "Scared of hurting others and scared of her own feelings."

His eyes fell on Anne once again as he continued to dance. His feet were moving out of time to the music – he had lost the rhythm as his mind became focused on only Anne. He wanted to dance with her so badly, but with every step he took, he felt as though he was getting further out of her reach. 

As the melody faded out and the dancing came to a pause, both Gilbert and Anne had managed to lose sight of one another. 

"Diana." Charlie's voice came from behind Gilbert's tall frame, taking him by surprise. "May I have this dance?"

"It would be my absolute pleasure." She grinned, taking Charlie's arm and swaying to the new music that played. Gilbert could see them both sporting the same cheeky smiles as they began to dance amongst the other guests.

Suddenly a thought struck Gilbert and his heartbeat began to quicken. If Charlie was now dancing with Diana, then Anne…

He turned his head to the left where Charlie had emerged from seconds ago, and there – only a few feet away from him – stood the girl he had hoped to be close to all night long.

He could hear Anne's breathing falter when they locked eyes – all other sounds becoming inferior the longer he stared into her sparkling orbs that reflected the light of the candles above.   
"Do– do you want to dance?" Gilbert asked in a shaky voice, his palms sweating uncontrollably by his sides.

She didn't say a word, but she had already made the decision. Her head prattled on telling her that dancing with him was wrong, however, her heart fought back, knowing what she truly wanted. All she could do was give a nod, which proved good enough for Gilbert.

He took her soft hand in his, intertwining their fingers and feeling his heart pound faster with every delicate touch.

Anne gently placed her free hand on Gilbert's broad shoulder and he snaked his arm around her small waist. They had been even closer than this before, yet somehow this seemed different – more perfect, more right – as if the stars had finally aligned.

Although this felt so right to Anne, her head was fighting back, allowing her worries to slip through the cracks once again and take over her aching heart. She shifted her gaze from Gilbert's hazel eyes to where Ruby sat, watching the whole ordeal take place with that beautifully sad face.

She had never wanted to hurt Ruby, yet that's what she had done and she didn't wish to hurt her friend anymore.

She pulled away from Gilbert in an instant, meaning to make her way off the dance floor, but with their fingers still intertwined she was pulled back towards him as if she had never left. Gilbert did not want her to go, he had allowed her to slip through his fingers so many times before and he couldn't do that again.

Their chests were pressed firmly against each other as Gilbert stared into her perfect blue eyes once again. His face looked so soft, so delicate, so angelic. Anne knew that all eyes were on them, but somehow it felt as if they were alone, in their own little world.

As if on an impulse – a want, a need – Gilbert closed the space between them, connecting their lips for a brief moment in time. 

Anne pulled away from him first, breaking the kiss. She had been taken completely by surprise, as had everyone else in the room. Looking in Gilbert's eyes she could see how much emotion had poured out his heart and into that kiss.

"W-what was that for?" Anne managed to let out as her heart hammered away in her chest, never breaking her gaze.

"I love you, Anne," Gilbert said as if it were as easy to him as breathing. "Ever since the day you broke your slate over my head in school."

Without a second thought, Anne placed her lips back on Gilbert's, all previous worries forgotten. They both melted into the kiss – hands intertwined like their very souls – and it was as if they were the only two in the room. 

She didn't have to speak the words out to Gilbert. He already knew. And neither one could have been happier than they were at that moment, as time stood still.


	26. in your eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝘽𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜,  
> 𝙄 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚."
> 
> — 𝗪𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹

Gilbert and Anne pulled apart from each other and stared deeply into each other's eyes. Their fingers were delicately woven together as Gilbert rubbed small, soothing circles onto the back of Anne's petite hand.

Anne's heart skipped several beats as she watched Gilbert examine her soft lips and her sparkling eyes that danced in the light of the flickering candles that surrounded them. She's so beautiful. Was all his mind could fathom as he gazed at her with the same love that enveloped his entire being.

Anne's mind mirrored his, thinking only of how handsome the curly-haired boy that stood before her was, and how deeply she cared for him. She wanted to say it aloud, for him to hear the very same three words he had told her only minutes ago. But with hushed whispers from the crowd slowly filling the room, Anne found the words stuck in her throat.

It wasn't that she was afraid to tell Gilbert how she felt – for that was most certainly not the case now – she just didn't feel the need to share her heart's aching words with the whole of Avonlea. She wanted the first time she spoke them aloud to be with Gilbert, and Gilbert alone, for it seemed such a perfectly intimate phrase that was only meant for him.

Anne's eyes trailed around the room, looking back at the faces that watched the two teenagers in astonishment – the grinning faces of Diana Barry and Charlie Sloane standing out from the rest. Absentmindedly, she plucked a delicate piece of hair from the red waves that flowed over her shoulders and popped it into her mouth, chewing nervously.

Looking back at Gilbert, he still held love and admiration in his features – something she had seen in him before, but never realised what it truly was until now. She could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and she imagined that his heart was fluttering in bliss the same as hers had when their lips had connected.

His eyes changed, however, when he noticed the fearful look of Anne's mannerisms. Reaching a wary hand forward, he grazed his fingers across her freckled cheek and swept the strands of hair from her lips. Those lips.

Grasping her hand tighter in his own, he tugged her slightly towards himself as he took a step back, indicating to the bewildered girl to follow his lead. As Gilbert and Anne glided their way off the dance floor, the whispering crowd parted to form a narrow path leading towards the door. They slipped out of the room quietly, never looking back, stepping foot into the dark spring night that had settled on the town that evening.

Outside the town hall, that now echoed with the sound of music once again, sat an old bench. It was perched on its lonesome at the bottom of the steps, surrounded by a patch of flower buds that would bloom in the coming days. The pair plonked themselves down, never releasing their grip on each other's hands.

The redhead's heart hammered away in her chest and her mind was encircled with thoughts of the boy who sat only an inch away from her. Her body trembled slightly with nerves and she blinked furiously as she tried to wash away her insecurities.

"Are you okay?" Gilbert asked her solemnly, pulling her from her own thoughts.

He lifted his hand carefully to her face and stroked her cheek gently with his index finger, gaining her devoted attention as she turned to look him in the eyes once more. As he pulled his hand away, Anne parted her lips as if to speak but no words came out. Everything she wanted to say was locked away in the confines of her mind, unsure of what she should tell him now that they were alone.

"Anne, will you say something? Please." Gilbert pleaded to her, finding himself worried that he had just ruined everything between them. Again.

Anne gulped, taking a deep breath as she did so, searching for the right words in her boggled mind to speak to him first. She couldn't have him sitting beside her with nothing, without an answer. It had been torture not knowing if he felt the same way and she couldn't let him go through it either. But that didn't stop the ache of worry that surged through her soul when she was to finally say the words into the air between them.

"D-did you mean it?" She asked him warily, with a small stutter in her voice. "What you said?"

Gilbert furrowed his eyebrows. How could she think that he possibly meant otherwise? "Of course I did. How could I not?" He assured her, looking deep into her ocean blue eyes, "I'm completely in love with you, Anne."

Anne felt as her lips trembled into a small smile as she gazed at him with loving eyes that slowly welled up with tears. She needed the assurance of his repeated words, and that simple act proved good enough for all of her worries and fears to slip away into the abyss.

"I love you too, Gil." She breathed out, finally allowing the simplicity of the words to leave her mind.

Gilbert's mouth turned up into a perfect smile at what she had told him. He had longed to hear such a phrase from Anne for as long as he could remember. The way it flowed off her tongue like the melody of the music they had danced to – not so long before each of their confessions – he found enchanting.

He leant towards her slowly – everything was so much simpler now, so much easier – but his heart still fluttered, as he was sure it always would. After what seemed like an eternity of hand-holding, Gilbert released his clutch on Anne's fingers, framing her face with both of his hands.

Her cheeks were so soft and her hair so silky beneath his touch. His hands were so warm against her and she could feel his hot breath on her skin as he inched closer. They were in their own little world, mesmerised by the feel of finally being close to one another.

Their lips finally met in the middle and they closed their eyes as they shared a gentle and sweet kiss under the light of the moon. Anne smiled against Gilbert's lips as his hands got tangled in her hair. She didn't want it to end – not in a million years – but the need for oxygen overtook them both and so they reluctantly pulled away, gasping for breath.

Anne leant into Gilbert, her head now resting against his broad shoulder, sighing in satisfaction of the night's events. Gilbert's arm snaked its way around her small frame – pulling her closer into him, if that was even possible – and kissed her tenderly on the top of her head.

"I don't want too much to change," Anne admitted openly, adjusting her head to look up at his angelic face.

"Nothing has changed." He told her, turning his own head to meet her gaze. "This is how I've always felt, and how I'll always feel."

"Are you sure?" Anne pressed, biting down on her already swollen bottom lip. "Because all of the other girls would be a much better choice than myself. No freckles, no red hair, no bad habits–" she rambled on.

"I don't want any of the other girls." Gilbert suddenly cut her off, looking at her intently with an expression of both love and heartache. "I just want you."

Anne's breathing hitched at his statement. She had never imagined that he could ever love her with such boldness – but here he was, telling her all of her deepest desires that she could have ever wanted to hear, without even the hint of a second thought. The words fell from his mouth as if they had been waiting an eternity to be said, only making the moment that much more like a fairytale.

"I want you and everything that comes with you. Your hair, your freckles, your mind, and everything in between." He confessed, not hesitating to tell her everything she needed to hear.  
"You sound as though you're reciting a poem." Anne smiled at him heartwarmingly as a tear escaped her eye and Gilbert wiped it away from her now rosy cheek.

"I would never be able to do that if it were with anyone else." He replied, feeling content with Anne in his arms. His Anne.

And so they sat there for the remainder of the evening, whispering sweet nothings into the open air – until the party was over – looking out into the big wide world, counting the stars in the sky and the stars in their eyes.


End file.
